After the unfortunate incident that occurred at Precious Talents School, the school’s proprietor Moses Wainaina faced arrest on Thursday based on the charges of manslaughter together with the provision of false information so as to get approvals. The two charges came about from the collapse of a building within the school’s vicinity that led to the death of eight pupils and 64 others injured.
The background information of the school is that it was registered on 10th July 2013 and issued with a registration certificate number PE/10217/13 to host 340 pupils.
However, as we speak, it had an enrollment of more than 800 pupils. This thus led to the Cabinet Secretary George Magoha revoking the school’s registration certificate.
Distance doesn’t matter we are happy walking
Fortunately, the government has promised to relocate the pupils in three public schools and provide them with textbooks and desks as follows; 480 learners will be relocated to Ngong Forest Primary School which is about 2.3 kilometers away, 180 to Jamhuri Primary School, three kilometers away and lastly 130 to join Riruta Satellite Primary School which is about 2.5 kilometers away.
The remaining 150 playgroup learners will remain at home temporarily due to their age and the long distance to the schools.
Nonetheless, Prof Magoha does not deem this to be a major challenge as he says “the distance does not worry me. All the pupils at Ngong Forest come from there (Ng’ando) and they are very happy walking.”
Updates regarding the injured students sound promising as the CS earlier on announced that two of them were still admitted to Kenyatta National Hospital. One is now ready for discharge while the other is still in the intensive care unit but said to be responding to treatment. The other bigger number had already been treated and discharged.
In addition, the ministry will provide counseling services to them.
No more lives will be lost due to poor structures!
Additionally, the CS gave an order to the Directorate of Quality Assurance and Standards to do a national audit and shutdown to schools with structures that may lead to the danger of their learners.
He also disagreed with the claims that state-run schools lack capacity which forces parents to run to poorly run private schools. Pama Academy in Kangemi, Nairobi and St Catherine Bombolulu Primary in Kibra Constituency have thus been recently shut down due to having storey buildings similar to the one that collapsed at Precious Talents Top School.
Prof Magoha thus sensitized the NGOs in unceremonious settlements to quit attracting donor funds whereas operating below standard.