Education CS Magoha bans meetings and rallies in schools

Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha [Wilberforce Okwiri, Standard]

Education minister George Magoha has banned unauthorised meetings and rallies in schools.

In a press statement yesterday, Prof Magoha warned of dire consequences to various groups that are using schools to host meetings.He warned that such meetings could expose learners to Covid-19.

“The ministry is therefore notifying all Kenyans that school compounds and facilities are out of bounds and cannot be used to host unauthorised meetings,” he said.

His statement comes at a time when the Ministry of Health has warned of possibility of a deadlier fourth wave of Covid-19 infection.

While attending a function in Kibera last week, Health minister Mutahi Kagwe said a more dangerous strain of the virus could get into the country if caution is not taken.

“We are asking county governments to prepare themselves, particularly with the supply of oxygen and piping the hospitals and increasing the capacity over what we currently have,” said Kagwe.

The acting Director-General for Health Patrick Amoth reinforced fears of a fourth wave with scientific modeling of how the virus behaves, noting surges are inevitable with every three-month cycle.

"There has been a consistent trend of a wave after three months since the onset of the pandemic in the country last year," he said, adding that the country should brace itself for another wave of the disease next month.

“Another wave can however be avoided if we stick to the health protocols,” he said.

He said vaccination of the masses should be done urgently to suppress transmission rates.

So far, close to 970,000 people have been vaccinated.

The Ministry of Health has approached several countries, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, to boost the vaccine doses.