By Lydia Ngoolo
Following the recent eviction of locals residing near Kiambere Dam in Kitui County, the number of pupils who reported back to school in Kathini primary has reduced.
Tana and Athi River Development Authority (TARDA) evicted about 1000 families claiming they were illegal squatters in the land next to Kiambere Dam along Tana River.
Other residents affected were in the areas of Katoomi, Burrow Pit and Kithumuoni all living near Kiambere Dam.
Katithini Primary head teacher Charles Mwangangi said out of 135 enrolments only 66 of the pupils reported.
The school head said that the enrolment has been adversely affected by the eviction of families that feed their schools with pupils.
“Though our school was not officially registered by the Ministry of Education since it was started in 2014, we are hoping that it will not be pulled down like the way homes, shops and other buildings were demolished during eviction,” he added.
He expressed his worry that if the school is not registered then it will be hard for them to register candidates for national exams.
However he pointed out that consultations are still going on with education authorities to know the fate of the remaining pupils and the four TSC teachers in the school.
PTA Chairman Joseph Kimanzi observed that those pupils whom their parents were evicted cannot make it to walk to the school due to distance.
He expressed his worry that some may end up dropping out of school and engage in vices.
Kimanzi called upon TARDA to make sure if they will demolish the school they allocate them land elsewhere the same way they treated their Embu neighbors by allocating land for markets, schools and police station.
