Ruto’s order is unlikely to result in the reopening of other schools.
It seems unlikely that thousands of students will return to class the following week as some schools are still buried by floodwaters and others are dealing with damaged classrooms.
Some people believed that swept-away toilets would just be another disaster waiting to happen. Hundreds of flood-displaced households have taken up residence in school buildings and school grounds in certain places.
Reopening next week, some parents said yesterday, means their kids could suffer consequences.
The Standard conducted spot checks in Nyanza, Mount Kenya, the Rift Valley, and the Western region and found that a substantial portion of the schools are in disrepair.
At least forty schools in the counties of Kisumu, Migori, and Homa Bay in Nyanza are either underwater or serving as shelters for displaced families in need of rescue.
The whole grounds of Oseth Primary School in Nyando is underwater, and the only way to get there is by boat. The neighboring homesteads are unreachable and have been evacuated.
Similarly, Ombaka Primary School is serving as a shelter for several families who have been uprooted from the neighboring Ombaka village, with their classrooms serving as temporary residences.
37 women and their kids are crammed into a tiny space in one of the classrooms. Rosemary Birenge, the director of education in Kisumu, verified yesterday that floods had an impact on the majority of schools in the sub-counties of Nyando and Kadibo.
“The ones affected most are Ahero girls, Kolunga, Kowala and Oseth primary schools,” she stated.
There is almost little likelihood that Ahero Girls will reopen next week because the school is still half underwater and the drinking water in its boreholes is tainted.
In a similar vein, at least ten schools in Migori remain submerged and are inaccessible.
In a same vein, when schools resume on Monday, hundreds of students in the Busia County constituency of Budalang’i and Teso North may continue to be detained in makeshift camps.
At least 10,000 pupils may miss class as a result of the flooding that damaged 14 schools in Budalang’i and Teso North, according to Busia County Education Director James Ekalyio.
In Budalang’i, the impacted elementary schools include Bukoma, Maduwa, Bulwani, Budalaa, Musoma, and Lunyofu.
The education official claims that Amoni, Kaejo, Kapkuyi, Kajei Primary Schools, Kamolo Secondary School, and Kolanya Girls have been impacted in Teso North Constituency.
According to Ekalyio, several schools have been used as shelters during emergencies. “In Budalangi, we have over 12 schools that are totally submerged, and if this situation continues, our children won’t have anywhere to learn,” stated Elkayio.
He noted that when schools reopen, UNICEF has promised to supply tents for instruction. “Unicef has promised to help us with tents; we have over 10,000 students from junior and upper secondary schools who are affected,” Elkayio stated.
Ruto’s order is unlikely to result in the reopening of other schools.
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