Outrage as Machogu postpones schools opening on reporting day

School-going children return home after they found their school Kantafu Primary in Matungulu, Machakos County locked on the opening day of term two on April 29, 2024. [Cillins Kweyu, Standard]

Confusion reigned on Monday after the government postponed the re-opening of schools for the second term.

A spot check by The Standard showed many learners reported to their schools early yesterday but were told to go back home.

In some areas, school heads insisted that learners must report as earlier planned because the Ministry of Education had not issued an official communication about changes in the opening dates.

Chrispinus Owino, Chief Principal of St Peter’s Mumia’s Boys High School, assured learners who reported yesterday that they would be cared for until the rescheduled opening, acknowledging the strain this would place on both schools and families.

 A section of parents from Uasin Gishu County said the CS announcement came in too late when some of them had already released their children.

“Some of the children had booked their travel tickets yesterday, others are now on transit and some traveled on Saturday. The education CS must understand that not all Kenyan schools are day schools,” said a parent whose child had already reported to Metkei Girls High School in Elgeiyo Marakwet on Sunday.

Parents in Trans Nzoia County said they were grappling with the sudden rescheduling of school opening by the government.

At Kitale Bus Park, a scene of confusion was evident as students who had traveled overnight were met with unexpected news upon their arrival.

A student at St Joseph’s Boys, Kitale told The Standard that he was frustrated.

“I traveled overnight from Nairobi to Kitale, paying a fare of Sh 1,700. Now, I am trying to contact my parents to arrange my return,” the student said.

The abrupt directive left students like Amina Faheem, a Sudanese resident in Nairobi, in a state of uncertainty.

 “I was on my way to school when I heard about the changes. I am uncertain about what to do next since I haven’t been able to reach my parents,” Amina, who was en route to Kapsara Secondary School in Cherang’any, said.

Eliud Wafula, the Trans Nzoia Kuppet chairman and George Wanjala, Knut county secretary, questioned the rationale behind the nationwide postponement.

In Nyeri County, pupils showed up to various primary schools as early as 7am only to be sent back home.

“It was a great inconvenience to us as parents but we are lucky that we live within the vicinity of the school,” Robinson Waweru, a parent at Nyamachaki Primary School said.

By 10am yesterday, many of the secondary schools had reached out to parents informing them of the changes of opening dates following the directive by Machogu.

Nyamachaki’s deputy head teacher Ephraim Murithi had to inform the pupils who reported as early as 6am that the opening of school has been postponed to next week.

“Some of our pupils had reported as early as 6am, especially those in upper classes, but I had to send them back home since I could not keep them in school,” he said.

At the Nanyuki bus terminus, many of the parents were gathered waiting for means of transport to their various destinations before the PSV Sacco leadership informed them of the changes in the opening dates.

Joyce Wakaba, a parent was forced to cut short her journey to Embu together with her daughter after a matatu driver informed her of the changes.

“It was a shock to me because I was not aware of the ministry’s announcement. I had to alight after the driver informed me about the changes,” she said.

At Upper Sagana Primary School in Kirinyaga County, hundreds of learners were in the school compound as early as 8am before they were ordered to go back home.

Julius Kamau, a parent, said the government ought to have communicated earlier.

But at St Mary’s Igoji in South Imenti, Principal Florence Igweta said two of their students had reported but they were going to cater for them until others join them next week.

“Two had reported from Kilifi, we cannot send them back, we shall keep them here at school. It is their second home,” said Igweta

In Muranga County schools in the  Mitumbiri area of lower Gatanga were flooded and inaccessible.

Mwanawikio Secondary School, which is accessed from Landless estate, was flooded after the bridge to the school was submerged.

In Kericho County, learners reported to their schools as early as 6am in the Bureti sub-county.  At Kapsogeruk Day Secondary School, students reported as expected but were turned away.

At the Coast, desperate parents made frantic efforts to secure transport for their children who had traveled on Sunday night to return home.

At Mwembe Tayari bus station, some parents were negotiating with bus companies which slapped those who wanted to postpone their journey with a fee. Most buses were fully booked.

Other parents said they had booked the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) trains for their children.

Meanwhile, 40 schools in Tana River County have been swept away or submerged by raging floods.

[By Robert Amalemba, James Munyeki, Evans Yegon Lynn Kolongei, Boniface Gikandi, Phares Mutembei, Purity Mwangi, Martin Ndiema, Renson Mnyamwezi and Hassan Barisa]