St Paul Namunyiri Primary School, located in the Sinoko Ward, Likuyani Sub-county, Kakamega County, has been shut down indefinitely due to safety concerns over dilapidated toilets and classrooms.
The decision was made by the school management and parents who feared for the safety of learners and teachers. At least 10 latrines and several classrooms in the school were deemed unacceptable by public health officials.
According to Roselyn Makokha, the head teacher of the school over 1,000 pupils including Early Childhood Development and Education (ECDE) learners, were sent home due to safety concerns.
“The safety of our pupils and staff is paramount and it has become increasingly clear that the current state of our facilities poses unacceptable risks,” said Makokha. She urgently requested the county government’s intervention to address and rectify the situation. “We want to urge the county government of Kakamega to come in and help in building latrines, especially for ECDE centres which are also badly affected,” she said.
Despite Makokha’s efforts to persuade public health officials against closing the school, her pleas were unsuccessful due to the serious environmental hazards posed by the latrines. The deteriorated latrines and classrooms put both pupils and teachers at risk of communicable diseases, including cholera, as reported by the headteacher.
“Public health officials have done their assessment and discovered that the latrines pose serious hazards to everybody in this school. They have closed the school until better latrines and classrooms are constructed,” said Makokha.
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Although the area MP, Innocent Mugabe, committed to assisting in the construction of latrines for the school, further support is required to ensure uninterrupted learning. “We require 10 toilets and some for the ECDE section. I appeal to well-wishers to help our school get back on its feet. I also thank our MP for his efforts of digging four toilets but we are short six toilets and we are appealing for more donors to come in and help and ensure learning resumes,” said Makokha.
Timothy Anyanga, along with other parents, emphasized the urgent need for intervention due to the deteriorating condition of the toilets built three years ago using the National Government Constituency Development Fund. The school’s facilities have been neglected for an extended period.
“It is disheartening to see facilities meant to improve the learning environment now endangering the lives of our children,” said Anyanga.
“It is worrying to see the pit latrines that were built three years ago are in a bad state and this shows how we approve shoddy work. Our contractors must be put on notice to ensure they do work to required standard,” he added.
By Frank Mugwe
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