Uhuru asks Governors, MPs to support school opening plans

President Uhuru Kenyatta has pleaded with governors to use their education budgets to support government efforts to expand spaces in schools.

Uhuru also appealed to MPs to use their Constituency Development Fund (CDF) allocations to support government plans to adjust schools' infrastructure amid Covid-19 fears.

The requests come as the government grapples with the creation of additional spaces to accommodate learners under the Ministry of Health protocols on keeping safe social distance in all learning institutions.

“I invite stakeholders, MPs through CDF allocations on education, county governments in their education programmes, the private sector and other well-wishers across the country and beyond to work with us in supporting and augmenting the expansion of school infrastructure,” Uhuru said.

Secondary and primary school heads said classes will be split into two or three to comply with the social distancing requirements.

This will require additional spaces in schools, a move that will warrant huge budgetary allocations.

Already, the Ministry of Education has hinted that tents may be used to create additional spaces and boarding facilities in learning institutions.

The president spoke yesterday after inspecting a Nairobi workshop that makes desks, lockers and chairs.

The workshop is one of the many across the country that will manufacture and supply 622,257 desks, chairs and lockers ahead of schools opening.

The government allocated some Sh1.9 billion under the Economic Stimulus Programme for the supply of locally assembled desks to both public primary and secondary schools.

Secondary school heads said most institutions have enough desks and cited lack of adequate space to place the desks during learning as the biggest challenge.

“Most of the schools have desks. The few that don't have can be mapped out and allocated. However, what we really need is adequate classes to space the desks,” said Kahi Indimuli, the secondary school heads association boss.