Despite President William Ruto’s directive for schools to reopen on May 13, at least 2,155 schools may not be able to resume for the second term.
Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu revealed on Thursday that about five percent of schools are facing infrastructure damage due to floods.
The affected schools are located across seven counties, including Tana River, Homa Bay, and Kisumu. Machogu stated that these areas are still grappling with flood-related challenges and will require significant repairs before classes can resume.
To address this issue, Machogu mentioned that alternative measures are being explored to ensure students do not miss out on learning opportunities. “We are trying to look at other mechanisms on how learning can take place in the few schools, which are less than five percent and could be even less than two percent of schools,” he explained after inspecting schools in Nairobi.
Initially scheduled to reopen on April 29, the school reopening was postponed indefinitely due to heavy rains disrupting daily life and damaging school infrastructure. Machogu assured that the second term would be extended to compensate for lost time, especially for Form 4 candidates. “Particularly for Form 4 candidates, we will see how we can recover the time lost by extending [the second term] by a few days,” he stated, adding that the closure duration in August might be minimized.
Machogu indicated that they are still compiling the names of affected schools and will provide a comprehensive list once it’s ready.
President Ruto’s announcement on Wednesday regarding the reopening was based on projections that the rains would ease. “All parents are advised, on the assessment of weathermen and the Government of Kenya, it will now be safe,” he said, emphasizing that adequate arrangements have been made for repairs and resources provided through NG-CDF for schools across Kenya.
Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo assured that regional administration officials have been mobilized to ensure the safety of schools, especially in affected areas. This effort involves National Government Administration Officers (NGAOs), regional and county directors of education, to ensure that learning resumes without interruption. Omollo also mentioned that students, particularly those in boarding schools, will gradually return between tomorrow and Monday.
