The Ministry of Education has started plans to construct 10,000 classrooms across the country, Early Learning and Basic Education Principal Secretary Dr. Julius Jwan has said.
Dr. Jwan added that his ministry was on course to operationalize the directive by President Uhuru Kenyatta during Mashujaa day celebrations on the construction of the extra classrooms in all sub-counties in order to accommodate more learners in public schools.
“We have already analyzed the needs of our schools and have already indicated the number of classrooms that the specific schools are going to get out of the 10,000 in every sub-county,” he said.
Speaking on Friday when he toured Nanyuki High School in Laikipia County, the PS further said that the construction of the additional classrooms would be handled in the context of Economic Stimulus package whereby local contractors in the sub-counties to carry out the works to spur rural economies.
He added that his ministry would advertise for the tenders to put up the classrooms in the next one week so that the construction would commence immediately.
The PS also revealed that investigations into a fire incident at a dormitory at Thome Secondary School in Laikipia Central Sub County that left one learner dead had been launched.
“Security personnel are working closely with our education officials seeking to get to the bottom of the matter and know what caused the inferno,” the PS said.
The fire that started at midnight while the learners were asleep left a form two student dead. The school has since been closed indefinitely.
The incident comes barely three weeks after students at the learning institution went on the rampage and caused destruction. This is the fourth school in the county to be burnt in recent weeks with others being Loise Girls’ High School, Muramati Secondary and St Augustine Sirma Secondary School.
By Martin Munyi
