Schools have to find Sh1 billion to paint buses yellow

It will cost all public secondary schools at least Sh1 billion to paint their buses yellow, as directed by acting Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i.

A survey by The Standard revealed that it would cost at least Sh100,000 to paint a 32-seater bus in Nairobi. And this would take at least 10 days for an exercise that is centralised in Nairobi’s Industrial Area, with just a handful of fabricators.

Although not all the 9,000 public secondary schools have buses, those that do will cough up at least Sh100,000 for their 32-seater vehicles.

This is money which Kenya Secondary School Heads Association Chairman Kahi Indimuli explained school principals had not planned for.

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While some institutions have no buses, others, mostly national schools, have two or more and several vans.

Schools such as Kakamega High, which has two buses, and will need not less than Sh200,000 to comply with the order.

Mr Indimuli said the directive would force principals to adjust their budgets to factor in the new expenditure.

Repainting a bus at Master Fabricators ranges from Sh100,000 to Sh250,000 if the bus is new. This price does not cover branding.

If it is old, The Standard was informed that the bus would have to undergo panel beating to put it back in shape, before the old paint is scrapped off and it is sprayed with a new coat. In such a case, the bus would need to stay more than 10 days in the workshop.

According to Choda Fabricators, some customers have specifications that can increase the cost of repainting. Last Friday, in accordance with the Traffic Amendment Act, 2017, Dr Matiang’i directed that all schools paint their buses and vans yellow by March 30.

He also said all schools buses should be fitted with seat belts designed for children and not to be on the road past 6pm and or earlier than 6am.

The order extended beyond the 9,000 public secondary schools to all 23,000 public and private primary schools.

Matiang’i said there was enough money for public secondary schools to repaint the buses from the Government’s Sh22,244 capitation for each student.

The Kenya National Union of Teachers and the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers have asked schools not to comply with the directive until the ministry sends money for the painting.