Machogu Tells Students Who Are In School To Remain There, Despite Floods

Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu has directed schools which had received students during the chaotic reopening on Monday, April 29 to retain them.

The directive affects boarding school students who reported to schools on Sunday, April 28 night and are expected to remain there until at least the end of next week as the government finds a way for the safe reopening of schools. The students have been in school for at least five days.

The development came moments after confusion arose regarding President William Ruto's order that the reopening date of all schools was postponed indefinitely, with parents concerned about whether or not the students currently in schools would be allowed to return home.

CS Machogu in a circular issued on Friday, May 3 stated "In the case of learners that had already reported to school, the school management shall retain them in school and ensure their safety and security, except only where the conditions allow for the safe return to their homes."

His directive came after uniformed students were spotted on Monday morning in various parts of the country headed to school not knowing that the reopening date was, before today, pushed by a week, following his late-night announcement.

Due to the ongoing heavy rains across the country, the government initially pushed back school opening dates by a week, but the current directive threw the possibility of reopening schools within the next week and the weeks after in jeopardy.

In the circular, Machogu directed all Boards of Management of schools to convene meetings and submit reports to their respective County Education Boards regarding the status of their respective schools.

"These reports should detail all relevant matters, such as any damage caused to school infrastructure due to the adverse weather conditions and outline mitigation measures.

"These reports should be submitted by May 8th, 2024. The reports are critical for, among others, engaging with the National Government Constituency Development Fund on the restoration of the damaged infrastructure," added the circular.

Furthermore, County Education Boards were directed to convene urgent meetings to assess the situation in their respective areas and submit comprehensive reports to the Cabinet Secretary by May 10, 2024.

The Regional Directors of Education were asked to continually provide updates on the status of learning institutions in their respective areas using the provided templates.

"All field education officers working in areas where schools are hosting displaced persons should liaise with the local National Government Administration Officers to immediately identify alternative accommodation for affected persons to ensure the facilities are available for normal learning activities," the statement continued.

Meanwhile, as per President Ruto's announcement, the severity of the current weather conditions could get worse after he confirmed that Kenya is likely to experience its first cyclone dubbed Hidaya in the next few days.

At the time of publishing this article, the cyclone, according to Zoom Earth, is edging closer to the coast of Tanzania.

Live tracking of Cyclone Hidaya as of May 3, 2024. /ZOOM EARTH