A school in Gachie sub-county which the villagers described as their “mother school” is finally being fenced off from predators at a cost of 10 million shillings.
Gachii primary school which was started in 1959 located in Karuri ward will no longer be accessible to thieves and criminals who have attempted to lure the pupils into drugs. At the beginning, the classrooms were muddy but they were improved to permanent ones as the school continued to expand.
During a tour to the school by KNA yesterday, the school Management Board Members were consulting with Mrs. Rhoda Mungai the head teacher of the most populated school on the ongoing project which has already taken off. Huge trees along the area earmarked for the wall were being felled in readiness to the long awaited project.
Among them is the area MCA Mr.Kabau Muthondu who said the wall should have come earlier. “This is a very old school in this area and some of our parents learnt in this school. I also taught in this school mathematics as I waited to proceed to university”
Mrs. Mungai regretted that early in the week, someone had attempted to break into one of the classrooms at 8.00p.m to steal the tools and equipment which is being used by the National Hygiene Programme workers as they never carried them home since they were yet to complete their work.
She said the security guard heard some movements and when he rushed to where it emanated from, he met someone with a knife and that he repulsed the thief before he could steal anything.
“They have been stealing things from the school and that is why we have a guard both day and night for purposes of protecting our property” She said upon the construction of the perimeter wall which is being funded by the CDF, they will be able to properly protect the property of the school.
She lauded the area Member of Parliament Mr. Paul Koinange whom she said had been instrumental in ensuring that schools were assisted so as to ensure they learnt in a condusive environment.
On the preparedness to re-open after the long holiday necessitated by corona disease when the schools closed prematurely in the first term, Mrs. Mungai said she was ready to keep the pupils in the school.
“We have 20 new toilets and 40 old ones which are adequate for the pupils. We also have 6 extra classrooms that were not in use and a big dining hall which can be used by the pupils in case they reopened even tomorrow”Mrs.Mungai stated
She added that they had also constructed sinks for hand washing and that they would also benefit from the current project of the borehole which had been sunk next to the school by the National Government.
By Lydia Shiloya
