Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has directed his officers to visit all matatu stages and pay transport for all stranded students back home.
Speaking while appearing on Radio Citizen, the Governor revealed that he will also personally visit the matatu stages to offer a helping hand.
He explained that some of the students had already left their respective homes by the time Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu issued a directive extending school reopening dates to Monday, May 6.
The Governor insisted that all students stranded in Nairobi will benefit regardless of which county they come from.
"I have seen several pictures of stranded students online some of whom had been given one-way bus fare to school," he stated.
"When I leave (the studio), I will go to the stages and pay for all the students who are stranded in town. I have sent my team to check now and I will go to the stages myself. I will give them fare and soda."
Sakaja further called upon Kenyans to stop crucifying Machogu arguing that the decision to send out a midnight press briefing may have been partly informed by other factors.
Online users had called out the Education Minister for sending out the notice arguing that most parents had already prepared for school reopening and in some cases, students had already left their homes.
"You cannot blame the minister for not thinking because maybe they got the information at night or they got direction from other places for the better good.
"Never think that the government has ill will when releasing information," Sakaja added.
Machogu, in the letter, explained that the decision to postpone the reopening date was influenced by a report he received from regional education heads.
"In the face of the ongoing heavy rains, the Ministry of Education last week directed its field officers to submit data from all Basic Education Learning Institutions countrywide to assist the Government in assessing the readiness of the schools for the Second Term opening on Monday, April 29, 2024," the statement from Machogu read in part.
"Reports received at the Ministry of Education corroborated with data from other relevant Government agencies, show that a number of schools in various regions of the country have been adversely affected by the rains."
