The government of Kenya has released funds to enable the re-construction of schools destroyed by floods in Baringo, Kisumu, Elgeyo Marakwet and West Pokot counties. According to Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha, the ministry will speed up the financing to ensure that learning takes place in safe environments.
“We have provided US $90,744.10 for the construction of Ombaka Secondary School on new grounds after the original school got submerged,” said the CS while at Ombaka Secondary School in Nyando, Kisumu County.
The government has also disbursed US $90,744.10 to Kandaria Secondary School while have received US $36,297.64 each for reconstruction works.
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Addressing the shortage of classrooms in Kenya
It was reported late last year that the government is planning to build 12,500 classrooms in two years with durable and affordable technologies. These would address the issue of overcrowding in the available classrooms and also ensure durable classrooms. The new construction technologies would also reduce the construction costs by 20%.
They will be built with local durable materials, not mud, mabati and sticks, and they will be suited to Kenya’s varied geography. The materials would include: baked bricks, hollow bricks, interlocking bricks and expanded polystyrene panels, or EPS, for prefab construction. Interlocking bricks are considered resistant to earthquakes, hollow blocks reduce the volume of concrete used, hence, the cost while Prefab EPS also cuts down on costs of construction and labour.
Meanwhile, the government is planning to buy 9,000 desks for 150 public schools in Laikipia County. Out of 283 public primary schools, 75 will receive 5,250 desks. This means each school will get 70 desks through the programme. The county has 99 public secondary schools but 75 were selected to benefit from 3,750 desks, with each receiving 50 additional desks.
