The government has ordered 348 primary boarding schools to close over safety issues. Schools are set to reopen in January 2025. Parents now have a task of identifying other schools where children will get education.
An audit by the Ministry of Education found major safety violations. Affected schools in Nairobi include St Hannah’s Primary, St Elizabeth Academy, and also Rockfields Junior School. Others are Mirema School, Kasarani Group of Schools, and Le Pic School. This action follows a fire in September 2024 at Hillside Endarasha Academy in Nyeri. The fire killed 21 learners. Investigators found unsafe boarding facilities at the school.
Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang ordered education officers to enforce the closures. Fifty schools in Nairobi must close their boarding sections. Reopening requires compliance with safety and re-registration rules. The audit revealed many of them violated safety standards set in 2008 and 2021.
The assessment also uncovered unregistered boarding facilities and poor safety measures. Some dormitories also lacked emergency exits. Others had overcrowding and inadequate bed spacing. Many of them did not provide female night guards. Boarding areas also failed to meet safety standards for learners with disabilities.
Officials must inform parents and ensure all comply with safety rules. School management must install firefighting equipment and train staff and students. CCTV surveillance and proper fencing are also required. The safety audit followed President William Ruto’s directive after the Nyeri tragedy.
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