Schools not ready to reopen, West Pokot leaders say
West Pokot leaders have raised concern over the manner in which the Ministry of Education has put in place measures to curb Covid-19 disease as schools are scheduled to reopen on Monday.
Led by Sigor Member of Parliament Peter Lochakapong and his Kacheliba counterpart Mark Lomunokol, they said it was disgusting for schools to be reopened without the government putting up infrastructure to allow social distancing.
Speaking yesterday in his constituency, Lochakapong said some schools along the West Pokot and Elgeyo Marakwet borders were last year affected by floods and have not been rehabilitated.
“There are no plans to build the schools yet learners have been studying under trees,” said the legislator.
The former Kapenguria Boys principal said that it will be hard for schools to reopen because there are no facemasks and social distance will not be observed in schools.
Lomunokol challenged all stakeholders including political leaders to ensure that no child has dropped out of school due to teenage pregnancies because of negligence of parents and authorities.
“Teachers should not bar children from going back to school. Girls should go back to school even when pregnant,” he said.
The MP said despite the prolonged holiday where several girls might have been impregnated, no school should discipline such and that they should be accepted back to school for them to continue with their learning.
