- Heads of three primary schools in Kisumu Central have raised alarm over a damaged perimeter fence that has exposed their institutions to insecurity.
- The school administrators say thieves, street children and other intruders have been accessing the compounds since the road project began.
- They are appealing to the Kisumu Central NG-CDF to urgently reconstruct the fence to safeguard learners and school property.
The leadership of three learning institutions in Kisumu Central Constituency has called for the urgent repair of a section of their shared perimeter fence that was damaged during the reopening of a road near the schools.
The affected institutions—Arya Primary School, MM Shah Primary School and Lake Primary School—say the damaged fence has left the schools exposed to insecurity and vandalism.
Arya Primary School headteacher Felix Ouma said the damaged fence has created easy access for strangers to enter the school compound.
He warned that school equipment and other property are now at risk of theft due to the porous nature of the perimeter.
Mr. Ouma appealed to the constituency leadership to intervene urgently and restore security at the institution.
He noted that officials from the Kisumu Central NG-CDF office had recently visited the site and promised to address the problem.
“We urge the office to move with speed to restore security at the school,” he said.
Lake Primary School headteacher Pamela Otieno also expressed concern over the deteriorating security situation following the damage to the fence.
She said street children and suspected criminals have repeatedly gained access to the school compound in attempts to steal property.
According to Ms. Otieno, a temporary chain-link fence erected to secure the area has been cut several times by intruders.
She said the school has already lost window panes and other valuables through theft.
Learner safety at risk
Otieno added that the safety of learners has also been compromised, noting that temporary structures located outside the school pose an additional security risk.
She further revealed that two security guards had previously been killed by criminals who gained access to an amusement park located within the school compound.
“All these have led to theft and frequent intrusion into the compound,” she said.
She warned that unless the perimeter fence is reconstructed soon, the schools will remain vulnerable to burglaries, especially at night.
The school heads also complained that they were not given adequate notice before works on the new road commenced.
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They have now appealed to the Kisumu Central NG-CDF and other relevant authorities to urgently repair the damaged perimeter fence to protect learners, staff and school property.
By Fredrick Odiero
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