City school where students practically swim to class whenever it rains – PHOTOS
By HILARY KIMUYULearning has for the last several days been adversely affected in a city girls’ school following heavy rains that have left parts of the school submerged underwater.
Speaking to Nairobi News, the principal of Embakasi Girls Secondary School, Susan Geke, said the school floods every time it rains heavily due to human encroachment.
“There used to be a wide drainage when the school was established in 1998 but due to the encroachment on top of the drainage, all the water now backtracks to the school whenever it rains because the school is at the lowest point,” said Mrs Geke.
The school boarders Mukuru kwa Njenga, Mukuru kwa Reuben and Imara Daima estates.
She said worst affected by the floods is the school kitchen, food store, offices and some classrooms.
“Last night some students refused to sleep in the classrooms and they waded through the water to get to their dormitory. Others had to share beds with upto four students sleeping on one bed,” she added.
FLOODING
She requested the government to release funds to finish the half built dormitory so that students can stop sharing beds after it rains.
“I would sleep better if this dormitory was finished because there has been wrangles and no money is being dispersed from either the government or the CDF even after writing to them severally,” she said.
According to the principal, the school has on several occasions written to Nairobi County government and the National Environmental Management Authority regarding the encroachment but no action has ever been taken.
The school has a population of about 500 students, with the majority coming from the neighboring area.
The principal said unlike past years, when students would head home due to flooding, this time none of the students has gone home after the floods.
According to Mrs Geke, on Wednesday officials from Nairobi county and Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA) inspected the school and promised to dig trenches before a permanent solution is found.
The school’s managers have been anticipating the flooding after weather experts issued an alert on heavy rains. Several other parts of the city have also been experiencing floods.