Toilets in primary schools and secondary schools in Nyeri have borne the brunt of the heavy rains that have been pounding the country for the last two weeks.
According to an assessment report done by the Ministry of Education on the impact of the floods, a total of 60 schools in the county have flooded toilets, with some reported to have sunk as a result of the heavy downpour.
The report shows that out of the eight sub-counties, Kieni-East Sub-county is the most affected, where a total of 22 primary schools and three secondary schools have recorded flooded pit latrines or toilets that have sunk. In the neighbouring Kieni-West, the situation is similar, where a total of 16 secondary schools have been affected.
In Nyeri South, two secondary schools and five primary schools had been affected by the rains, with Mukurwe-ini recording flooding in seven secondary schools. Mathira East, Tetu, and Nyeri Central are the least affected, according to the assessment, with the sub-counties recording less than five cases.
“Nyeri County has also been affected by the rains. In Kieni, which is very flat, there are a few issues with flooding. Even though we have a few cases of flooded classrooms, we have not recorded major damages to the classrooms. Our major problem is the flooded toilets and those that have collapsed or sunk due to the heavy rainfall,” said Nyeri County Director of Education, Jane Njogu.
The CDE said that they were still monitoring schools in Mukurwe-ini and Tetu, which are prone to landslides. To resolve the current situation, Ms. Njogu said that her office is working with the affected schools to fix the damages ahead of the school reopening on May 6.
“I have organised a meeting with principals from the affected schools so that we can come up with a remedy for each of the respective schools,” she said.
Ms. Njogu has also appealed to parents to take care of their children during the extended school break. Ms. Njogu called for involved parenting to prevent exposure to risks that may arise from the flood situation in the country.
“The floods are dangerous to adults, and they will be more dangerous to children. We are calling on parents to remain vigilant and to advise their children on the importance of being very careful so that we receive all the children back in school next week,” she said.
“There are places that may not be safe next week when the schools are set to be open, and we are asking parents not to send a child to school because the government has said schools have reopened. Let us work together to ensure that we don’t expose our children to risk and that they are safe as much as we want them to learn,” said Ms. Njogu.
At the same time, Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga has asked residents to be cautious and adhere to safety guidelines as the rainfall persists to avert disaster. Kahiga said that the County Disaster Management Committee had been reactivated in preparation for any disaster that may arise. He noted that the county has not been badly hit by the downpour but urged the residents living in risk-prone areas to move to safer grounds.
“We are warning those who live in Tetu and Mukurwe-ini, which are prone to landslides and mudslides, to be cautious. I am also appealing to our people in Kieni, where we have dams, and those residing near rivers to be careful and relocate to safer grounds because the dams might overflow and spillover,” said Kahiga.
A weekly weather report indicates that the moderate rains will persist for the next five days. The weatherman says the county will experience afternoon and night showers of up to 40 millimetres, with thunderstorms expected over several areas within the county.
By Wangari Mwangi
