All primary and secondary schools in Nyeri county are in the process of setting up disaster management committees, Nyeri Deputy County Commissioner, Joseph Mwangi has said.
According the DCC, the committees will deal with emergencies and tragedies that may occur in school.
Mwangi said that the resolution was reached after a meeting with all the school heads where it was resolved that the committee will also provide guidance and counselling sessions to the learners.
The administrator said that the meeting had been necessitated by Hillside Endarasha Academy fire as well as the alarming rise in the number of schools that had sent home their learners owing to student unrest.
The DCC pointed out that in the last two months, three boys’ secondary schools in the county have sent their students home after they went on a rampage, destroying school property.
“We have agreed with all the head teachers that the committees should be in place by the end of October. The committees will handle emergencies and disasters in school. The composition will also include counselling psychologists because discipline goes down due to lack of counselling,” said Mwangi.
The DCC spoke at the Dedan Kimathi Kamkunji Grounds in Nyeri town during the 61st Mashujaa Day Celebrations.
During the event, the county fire department performed fire drills to check on the residents’ preparedness to handle fire emergencies. They also enlightened the public on the safety procedures to undertake during a fire emergency.
Mwangi said that they will be partnering with the department to offer drill sessions in all the eight sub-counties.
“The county government has promised to support in the training and drills so that we can ensure that we are all able to deal with such an emergency,” he stated.
About exam preparations, the DCC said that the government has already made adequate security arrangements ahead of the commencement of the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education and the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment.
Additionally, he said that enough security personnel will be deployed in all the examination centres to ensure that the integrity of the exams is upheld.
“We will work with the Ministry of Education to ensure that the exams remain safe and that no cases of cheating will be recorded in the county,” said Mwangi.
On the war against illicit brews and drugs, Mwangi said that the county had already hit the 95 per cent mark adding that the security team is zeroing in on the remaining 5 per cent.
Mwangi also lauded members of the public for aiding in the fight against the vice by volunteering information to the security organs.
While issuing a stern warning to the manufacturers of second generation liquor manufacturers, Mwangi said that the government will not relent until the war is won.
“I want to warn you that we will not tire in arraigning you before the courts of law, even if it means taking you to court 10 times. The government has vowed to continue with this fight until the war against this vice is won,” he said.
By Wangari Mwangi
