New Ruring'u school to give 880 pupils closer access to education

Construction of a 22-classroom primary school underway at the Ruring’u Affordable Housing Project in Nyeri. The school will accommodate up to 880 pupils..[Courtesy]

A new primary school in Ruring’u, Nyeri, will bring basic education closer to families who have been sending their children several kilometres away to school, easing pressure on neighbouring institutions and creating room for 880 pupils.

The 22-classroom school is being built under the ongoing Ruring’u Affordable Housing Project and will serve both families living in the development and residents of the wider community.

Each classroom will accommodate 40 learners, giving the school a capacity of 880 pupils.

Nyeri Town MP Duncan Maina Mathenge said children from Ruring’u have been travelling to schools in Riamukurwe, Kwaderi, District Education Board (DEB) and Garithi.

The new facility is expected to reduce the distance families have had to cover to access basic education while easing pressure on schools serving the area.

Project Clerk of Works Gerald Kariuki said the school was included in the housing project because Ruring’u has few schools despite its growing population.

“Since we are in the locality, we have very few schools. That’s why it was incorporated into the project, so that it can help the people who will have their units here, the residents, and also the people from the community,” Kariuki said.

Mathenge said the school would provide a more convenient option for families in Ruring’u and improve access to education.

The school is part of a wider development that includes four residential blocks offering social, affordable and market-rate housing units.

The project also has four commercial blocks, each with eight shops, providing 32 commercial spaces.

Mathenge said the housing project, the redevelopment of the neighbouring Ruring’u Stadium and an information and communications technology (ICT) hub would create an economic centre in the area.

He said the developments could support local businesses and create opportunities for young people, particularly when the stadium begins hosting major sporting events.

Mathenge also said major football tournaments in Nyeri could attract visitors and increase demand for accommodation, food, transport and other services.

The developments will therefore add education and commercial facilities to the housing project while expanding services and opportunities for the wider Ruring’u community.