Thika Member of Parliament, Alice Ng’ang’a, has called on the government to prolong the school holiday by an extra week to ensure the safety of students.
Speaking in Thika on Saturday, Ng’ang’a stressed the importance of assessing the situation before reopening schools, especially with the Kenya Meteorological Department predicting further rainfall.
"We have a holiday in the middle of the week on Wednesday. If the rains persist on Monday and Tuesday, let the children have one more week," MP Ng’ang’a stated, expressing concern for the children's safety.
Ng’ang’a highlighted the preference for keeping children safe rather than risking their exposure to floods by reopening schools prematurely. She appealed to the Ministry of Education to postpone the school reopening date due to the prevailing rainy weather conditions.
During the distribution of bursaries worth Ksh45 million to approximately 10,000 secondary school students from her constituency, Ng’ang’a emphasised the potential danger of reopening schools amidst heavy rains and floods.
Accompanied by Kikuyu MP and National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah, Ng’ang’a urged the government to delay the reopening date by at least one more week, citing inadequate planning for next week's reopening.
She asserted, “It is better to have our children alive than telling them to go to school, then they are taken away by floods.”
“If you see the rainfall is set to continue, let the children stay home until we are sure they will be safe,” she added.
Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang reiterated on Thursday that schools would reopen next week despite the heavy rains and floods affecting critical infrastructure across the country. He assured that preparations were underway for the reopening.
As part of these preparations, the Ministry of Education's Director General, Elyas Abdi, issued a circular to regional directors of education, instructing them to assess the impact of the rain and floods and submit reports by Friday.
"We are prepared, and we look forward to our children returning to school. As a ministry, we will work closely with other agencies to ensure the safety of our children as they resume their studies," Dr Kipsang stated.
On Friday, Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua announced that some primary and secondary schools across the country would delay reopening for the second term due to flood impacts.
Speaking during a press briefing in Karen, Gachagua stated that affected schools' reopening dates would be rescheduled.
He stated, "On a case by case, it will be analysed on its merit. Where there is a need to extend the opening day, we can do that."
Gachagua assured that the Ministry of Education would collaborate with county governments to assess the situation before advising parents and students on any changes. However, he reaffirmed that schools unaffected by floods would adhere to the Education Ministry's 2024 academic calendar, with the reopening scheduled for next week.
The PS reported that 64 schools in Nairobi were significantly impacted by the rains.
He mentioned, "In Nairobi County, we have 64 schools which are substantially affected in terms of classes and washrooms. We decided to deal with them as local issues so that we cannot ask all schools not to open."
Kipsang explained that out of Nairobi's 210 public schools and 800 private schools, the 64 affected schools might experience delayed reopening until normalcy is restored.
The announcement comes amidst concerns about the heavy rains' impact on infrastructure and transport networks, raising doubts about the feasibility of resuming school activities.
