Shimbirey Primary School head teacher Abdinassir Musa has expressed fear that some students might soon drop out of school due to hiked fares caused by the rising cost of fuel in addition to the current challenging economic times.
He added that many teachers are thinking of relocating to live in the outposts of Garissa town despite the potential insecurity and poor housing.
“Every business person hiked the price of everything on the pretext of higher fuel prices,” he said.
Musa said that earlier, numerous teachers and students living in the town used to travel daily in the morning to nearby schools like Raya, Shimbire and Bulla Iftin among others.
“That is no longer cheap since the boda boda riders have doubled the fares. Teachers keep getting late to school,” he said.
The optics of walking from the town Ngamia road to Young Muslim School is impossible.
“I have to walk up to five kilometres after waking up at around five in the morning,” said Mohamed Buthul, a teacher at Young Muslim Academy which he says is within the CBD.
With fuel pump prices having shot up to Ksh185 in the town and much more in the hinterland outposts, commuters are bearing the brunt.
A spot check by Education News within Garissa town reveals the fare within the CBD which was a flat rate at Ksh50 has now doubled.
“With a litre of super fuel, I used to make a cool Ksh700. I could pay the motorcycle owner and remain with something for my family, buy more petrol and begin making untouched profit,” said Nguno Musemi, a boda boda rider.
Regretfully, Musemi added that adding insult to injury, there are fewer customers now as most prefer to walk on foot.
By Amoto Ndiewo
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