The National Assembly Departmental Committee on Education Chairman, Julius Melly, has instructed the Cabinet Secretary for Education, Ezekiel Machogu and Principal Secretary Dr. Belio Kipsang, to ensure the establishment of clinics with at least one nurse in all public schools and the inspection of food meant for schools by health officials to be done regularly.
The Parliamentary select group also demanded the Education ministry to prepare a comprehensive report on disease outbreaks in schools.
At the same time, they have called on food handlers in all schools to undergo training and ensure that they are disease free before handling food for consumption in these institutions.
“It is quite disturbing that we can have cases of cholera in schools, which is caused by poor hygiene, in this day and age,’ said a disappointed Melly.
This comes a few days after horrific events at Sacred Heart Mukumu Girls High School saw four students and a teacher, who also served as the boarding mistress, die due to suspected food poisoning at the institution.
The Member of Parliament of Seme, James Nyikal, who used to be the Public Health Principal Secretary called for inspections of schools by public health officials as it is always the case with hotels across the country.
Yesterday, Akelo Misori, the KUPPET Secretary General, threatened to sue the Ministry of Education and that of Health for what he termed as negligence that led to the tragedy at Mukumu Girls.
Hed also accused the Education ministry of transferring Mukumu Girls head teacher instead of dealing with the real issue that is overpopulation in schools causing problems in controlling hygiene issues.
By Vostine Ratemo
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