Schools in flood-hit areas to remain shut, Education CS Ezekiel Machogu says
People affected by floods wait for humanitarian aid at Valley Bridge Primary School in Kiamaiko, Mathare on Sunday April 28.
Schools affected by floods that have, so far, killed over 80 people and displaced at least 131,450,,will not reopen today for Term Two as per the education calendar.
The Kenya Meteorological Department Director David Gikungu warned that the rains would continue in various parts of the country for the next seven days. He also said there is a risk of landslides on steep slopes.
Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu told the Nation that schools will reopen as earlier scheduled except the ones in areas affected by floods.
“Schools are reopening as earlier scheduled apart from those affected by floods,” he said.
Tana River is one of the counties badly affected by floods. Some families have been forced to move out of their homes as a swollen River Tana threatens to break its banks. Other residents in the region have been living in displaced people’s camps since last year after their houses were destroyed by El-Nino rains.
Other regions where floods have left families homeless are Nairobi, parts of the Rift Valley, Nyanza, Western and Central Kenya.
The National Parents Association chairman Silas Obuhatsa lauded the ministry for maintaining the school calendar.
He said schoolchildren were affected during the Covid-19 pandemic when the government suspended learning for more than eight months.
Mr Obuhatsa said that the State cannot make a general decision of postponing the reopening of schools across the country, even though some areas have been experiencing flooding.
Speaking to the Nation, Mr Obuhatsa said in 2020 Kenyan children were deprived of education due to the covid-19 pandemic and this should be avoided by all means necessary.
The entrance to Mcedo Beijing School located in Mathare Slums flooded due to recent heavy rains on April 27, 2024.
“We learnt our lessons during the pandemic period when the school calendar was delayed, and learners and teachers suffered. The syllabus was not completed and performance went down. This time round, the State has given instructions that only schools affected by floods should postpone reopening. We support this move,” said Mr Obuhatsa.
However, the association chair urged the government to ensure that children in flood-hit areas are taken to safer places.
Mr Obuhatsa urged the State to concentrate in areas like Tana River and Kisumu counties where flooding has always a major disaster. He said that some schools have been submerged.
“In such areas, the government cannot reopen schools. The safety of our learners and teachers is crucial,” said Mr Obuhatsa.
He urged the government to give a new date for the reopening of schools in the flood-affected regions.
“Boards of school management should be alert, inspect your institutions and report to the county directors of education if anything is amiss,” he said.
For his part, the Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association's national chairman Willy Kuria is concerned that the floods might interrupt the reopening of some schools.
However, he is optimistic that the government will put mitigation measures in place to protect teachers and learners.
“Flooding is increasingly becoming a matter of concern, we just hope our children will remain safe,” he said.
Some schools have already informed parents that they may remain closed next week while others reopen for Term Two.
Transport is also expected to be disrupted, as the National Transport and Safety Authority launched a countrywide crackdown on unroadworthy vehicles to ensure the safety of learners.
Last week, the Ministry of Education Director-General Dr Elyas Abdi issued a circular instructing regional directors to collect data on the status of schools following the heavy rains.
