Learners sent home for safety reasons after reporting back to school in Mathare
Just a day after the government directed all day primary and secondary schools in Nairobi, Kisumu and Mombasa to reopen amid anti-government protests, most schools in Nairobi remained closed on the second day of the three-day demos.
The government announced the closure on Tuesday evening to ensure the safety of learners. Schools in these three counties remained closed on Wednesday as the opposition supporters protested across the country.
While giving the directive of school’s closure on Tuesday, Interior Cabinet Secretary Prof Kithure Kindiki said the government had received credible security intelligence that criminal elements were planning to unleash terror and violence on the public by engaging in armed skirmishes with security agencies around certain schools in Nairobi and Mombasa.
Also read: Ruto: Putting sufurias on your heads for 10 years won’t lower the cost of living
“As a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of school children, it has been decided that all day primary and secondary schools within the cities of Nairobi and Mombasa will be closed tomorrow (Wednesday, 19 July),” Prof Kindiki said in a statement.
Then on Wednesday evening, the government announced the re-opening of these institutions with Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu and Prof Kindiki, saying the situation had been re-assessed and it was safe to re-open the schools.
However, on Thursday morning, learners in schools situated in Mathare North Area One were sent home just hours after reporting to school as ordered by the government.
Also read: Maandamano – Medics call on authorities to uphold human rights
A spot check by Nairobi News in the some of the schools in the area established that both public and private schools had sent learners home for their safety.
Ruaraka High School, St Mathew School and SDA Church Mathare North Primary School were among the schools that remained closed.
Tension still remains high in the area that has been battle ground for protesters and police officers since Wednesday.
On Wednesday, around 6pm, water cannon-mounted police trucks were still present in the area with heavy police presence.
Also read: MP Babu Owino returns to Nairobi under heavy police escort