School children across the country were left stranded after Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu abruptly postponed the school opening date to May 6.
In a midnight directive, Machogu stated that due to the flooding being experienced in several parts of the country, it was prudent to postpone the date.
This was made a few hours before the official opening of schools on Monday, April 29.
In Ruaka, pupils shivered in the cold as they waited for school buses that never came to pick them up.
While some of the school heads had read the directive which was issued on social media, it was not the case with some pupils.
In Kitengela and Athi River, students stood in puddles of water unaware that a few hours prior, the Ministry of Education had directed they should not report to school.
The students with their guardians had braved the flooded and muddy roads and tracks to be able to make it to school on time.
“Even us teachers had already prepared for school. The management has decided that we hold a school meeting instead,” one of the teachers in a school in Kitengela told Kenyans.co.ke.
School parents further complained to Kenyans.co.ke that they had already booked their students for travel.
“My children were at Nairobi Country Bus early in the morning as we did not know about the directive,” one parent complained.
Another parent stated that he had already booked Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) train tickets and was wondering if there would be a refund.
The government had earlier urged Kenyans not to take unnecessary risks by crossing flooded rivers.
