Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero is on the spot after new revelations emerged that helpless children in various schools within the city are suffering and some falling ill after his administration apparently reneged on an earlier promise.
Kenyans.co.ke has established that a number of primary schools in the City are grappling with huge water debts and are under the threat of disconnection after accumulating almost Sh500,000 in water bills. This despite some of the schools being highly populated, a situation that could result in scores of children falling ill.
Headteachers from two schools disclosed to this news website that Governor Kidero had struck a deal with the Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company to grant amnesty to the public schools when he ascended to power.
The deal, however, appeared to have been a temporary directive as the county government would later leave the schools to their own means.
Muthangari Primary School Headteacher Mr Hassan Tala told Kenyans.co.ke that the school is unable to raise the necessary funds to make full payment on their water bill arrears which stand at Sh481,830.
"Our pupils come from needy backgrounds and the school is already on free primary education, it is impossible to raise the money.
"We managed to pay off Sh50,000 and negotiated with Nairobi Water to pay off the rest in Sh20,000 instalments each month but we cannot keep up with the payments given our situation," Mr Tala explained.
The educationist added that his counterparts in various other schools in the Kilimani area of Nairobi including Kileleshwa Primary School were under the same distress.
"I appreciate that we have been able to sustain the feeding programme but we are afraid that at any time the Water Company will disconnect our water and we'll go back to buying untreated risky water," he appealed.
Attempts to reach Governor Kidero and the County Administration for a comment were futile as calls and text messages to them went unanswered.
Kileleshwa Primary School Headteacher also confirmed that her institution was also in the same dire situation.
The plight of the children was first highlighted online after a social media user, Judy Kibinge, narrated how she met a 6-year old pupil from Muthangari Primary weeping while on his way to school due to stomach pains.
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The schools are now appealing to the government to move in and save the situation which places the lives of innocent children at risk.
