Leaders call for urgent investment as overcrowding hits Dandora's Wangu School

Leaders have called for urgent investment in school infrastructure and sanitation after concerns emerged over overcrowding at Wangu Comprehensive Primary and Junior School in Dandora, Nairobi.

The institution serves approximately 5,600 learners despite having facilities designed to accommodate only 1,750, highlighting the pressure facing schools in densely populated urban areas.

Nairobi Woman Representative Esther Passaris said learners needed safe, clean and adequately equipped facilities to support effective teaching and learning. Speaking during the launch of an eco-friendly waste management farm at the school on October 10, Passaris said the institution urgently required additional classrooms, improved sanitation, a borehole, perimeter walls and two school buses.

She warned that inadequate infrastructure and overcrowding could undermine learners' welfare and access to quality education, calling for sustained investment in essential school facilities.

"Every child deserves a safe, healthy learning environment," Passaris said, adding that environmental conservation required practical action within communities and learning institutions.

The event marked the launch of Zoomlion Kenya Waste Services Limited's Eco-Friendly Waste Management Farm, an initiative designed to turn organic waste into useful agricultural resources while promoting environmental education among learners.

Zoomlion Kenya Head of Operations in Nairobi, Kenneth Kumi, said the company was working with city authorities to support an integrated waste management system aimed at improving sanitation, environmental conditions and public health. He said the initiative would demonstrate how organic waste could be converted into nutrient-rich compost, helping reduce pressure on disposal sites while supporting sustainable food production.

The facility is also expected to serve as a practical learning and training centre for schoolchildren, young people and women-led enterprises, offering exposure to composting, sustainable agriculture and green skills. Wachira Kagunya said the programme would help learners translate classroom lessons into practical environmental conservation activities, including waste separation, recycling and tree planting.

The launch included the planting of 150 trees as part of the 2026 Mazingira Day commemorations, bringing together learners from four schools for environmental awareness activities. The initiative comes amid concerns about waste disposal in Nairobi, where illegal dumpsites and inadequate sanitation pose risks to public health and the environment.

The school infrastructure concerns, however, underline the need for interventions that go beyond environmental awareness to address the basic facilities learners require for a safe and effective learning experience.