The government is optimistic that the over 10,000 CBC classrooms that are being constructed across the country for admitting Junior secondary school students will be ready by March.
Education Cabinet Secretary Prof. George Magoha said so far, 54 classrooms have already been completed and ready for use with the remaining ones nearing completion.
Speaking after commissioning the completed CBC classroom at Gatundu Secondary school in Gatundu South Sub County, Magoha said in terms of the construction completion rates, Mandera county leads at 60% followed by Garissa at 54%, then Kitui at 53% and Siaya at 48%.
Kitui has 13 completed classrooms while Siaya has four.
He said 76%-100% of the classrooms are almost complete with 51%-75% being constructed up to the roofing level. 26%-50% of the classrooms have already been walled, while 25% of those being constructed as storey buildings are up to the slab level.
The CS said the Ministry of Education will heighten monitoring to ensure all the classrooms are completed on time.
“Overall, we are impressed by the progress. However, we want to ask contractors to be faster to be able to complete works in time. Our original plan was to complete in April but I’m now very sure that we shall complete this by the beginning of March, before the national exams so that we can begin the 2nd phase at the end of April when we shall have completed marking the exams,” he said.
He cautioned contractors who are constructing the classrooms in Nairobi that they were slow and warned them against being influenced by political forces.
“Nairobi still has no completed classroom and we shall make sure that nobody plays politics with this classroom issue in Nairobi,” he warned.
He assured contractors that they will be paid on time after completing works, warning officers who will frustrate the payment efforts of dire consequences.
“We reassure the contractors that payment will be made directly to them by a maximum of two days. Any officer found to stand in the way of the process of paying contractors that they will receive severe sanctions,” he said.
The government aims to construct 10,000 classrooms in readiness to admit Grade 7 students for the junior secondary schools in January next year in line with the new curriculum.
By Muoki Charles
