Schools Opening Postponed Due to Heavy Rains

The Ministry of Education Cabinet Secretary for Education, Dr. Ezekiel Machogu has announced the postponement of the opening of schools for one week to the start of the second term for all primary and secondary schools in the country. Schools were originally scheduled to reopen on Monday, April 29th after the holiday break. However, the new opening date has been pushed back to Monday, May 6th.

The postponement comes after assessments conducted by the Ministry found that many schools across different regions have been severely impacted by the ongoing heavy rains. Some schools have suffered devastating effects that pose safety risks to students and staff if they were to reopen as initially planned.

"The devastating effects of the rains in some of the schools is so severe that it will be imprudent to risk the lives of learners and staff before water-tight measures are put in place to ensure adequate safety," read the Ministry's press release issued on Monday.

The Ministry had directed field officers last week to collect data from all basic education institutions nationwide on their readiness for reopening amid the rains. This data was then corroborated with information from other relevant government agencies.

The Ministry states it will work with stakeholders to implement mitigation measures at the affected schools and monitor the situation closely. Regular updates will be provided to the public regarding developments impacting the education sector.