As schools reopen Monday, learners at Ruiru Girls’ Secondary in Kiambu County will be facing a new hurdle after 20 toilets collapsed and sunk due to heavy rains in the past week.
The institution which is the only public girls’ boarding school in Ruiru constituency, houses 1,031 students majority of whom are boarders.
Speaking during a tree planting event at the school, the Principal Gloria Waithera said only 16 out the 36 pit toilets have survived the torrential rainfall that caused havoc across the country.
“Our students will have to use the lavatories in the dormitories even though they are very few considering the high students’ population. The torrential rains that have been pounding this region has dealt us a huge blow,” the principal said.
She appealed to the government and well-wishers to chip in and help rebuild the facilities as the remaining ones are not enough for the student population.
“Even some of our classrooms were flooded and some of the equipment in there was damaged. We are pleading for help from our government and even the corporate entities in this area to help us give our girls a conducive learning environment,” Waithera said.
Area MP Simon King’ara who joined school staff in the tree planting exercise promised to avail temporary toilets as the NG-CDF prepares to allocate funds for construction of permanent ones.
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“We cannot say there are enough funds to rebuild all the damaged schools in the constituency at once but we shall start by providing temporary toilets in this school and at least 10 others which have been submerged by floods,” said King’ara.
He also divulged that there are plans to move displaced people currently housed in three primary school grounds to other areas to pave was for learners as they resume classes next week.
The affected schools are Kwa Ng’ethe, Kahawa Wendsni and St Augustine in Kiuu ward where hundreds of residents are accommodated after their houses were flooded.
“We have hundreds of residents who were displaced from their homes by the floods residing in some of our schools. We are however looking for alternative temporary settlement areas where the residents can stay as we seek a permanent solution,” the MP said.
King’ara also pointed out that most areas in Ruiru are water-soaked and as a result, the reconstruction process may not take place immediately.
The MP also stressed the importance of tree planting and appealed to Kenyans to join the exercise in support of President William Ruto’s resolve to plant 15 billion trees in five years.
He thanked NCBA Bank for donating seedlings and asked other business people to follow suit.
By Kamau Njoroge
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