Kenya has announced the postponement of the reopening of schools by one week due to ongoing heavy rains that have triggered deadly floods across the nation, News About Nigeria reports.
On Monday, Education Minister Ezekiel Machogu addressed the situation, stating, “The devastating effects of the rains in some of the schools are 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.”
In a statement released by the Ministry of Education, Machogu announced the decision to postpone the reopening of all primary and secondary schools by one week, with classes now set to resume on Monday, May 6, 2024.
Since March, Kenya has recorded seventy-six fatalities due to the heavier-than-usual rains, made worse by the El Nino weather pattern.
Flash floods have submerged roads and neighbourhoods, leading to the displacement of over 130,000 people across 24,000 households, particularly in the capital Nairobi.
Belio Kipsang, the principal secretary for education, revealed that sixty-four public schools in Nairobi have been affected by the flooding.
tragedy struck on Sunday in eastern Kenya when a boat carrying a large number of people capsized in flooded Tana River county.
The Kenya Red Cross reported that 23 people were rescued, with video footage captured as the crowded boat sank amid the screams of passengers.
The heavy rains have also wreaked havoc in neighbouring Tanzania, where at least 155 people have lost their lives in flooding and landslides.
In Burundi, approximately 96,000 people have been displaced by months of relentless rains, according to reports from the United Nations and the government.
Uganda has also experienced heavy storms, resulting in riverbanks bursting, two confirmed deaths, and several hundred villagers being displaced.
