Leah Chelagat Kulei, a teacher from Olmarai High School in Mogotio, Baringo County has succumbed to coronavirus a few days after the death of Tononoka Secondary School Principal.
Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers, KUPPET has for that reason sound a warning urging the government to close all schools for the sake of the children’s well being.
“My concern is to the government, how many teachers should lose their lives? how many teachers should be confirmed coronavirus positive so that the government can respond? the Kuppet official asked.
17 students from two Friends School Kamusinga High School and Kimilili Boys secondary School were yesterday confirmed to have contracted the virus. Currently, more than 50 teachers, students and non-teaching staff have contracted the virus since schools were reopened this month.
“My main concern is; does the government have any concern for the teacher? I’m urging the government in the strongest terms possible to know that our lives are at stake,” a KUPPET official in Baringo county stated.
Japhet Kirui, a teacher from Kabarnet High School agreed with the official’s terms stating that the covid-19 state in school was worsened following a number of teachers and students contracting the disease.
Japhet requested the government to close schools noting that the state was gambling with teacher’s lives.
“We are telling the government, kindly take our lives seriously, aside from the BBI politics, take the lives of Kenyans seriously. Let you not be that CS to go down in history as one who took a generation of a whole country down because of recklessness and carelessness,” the principal stated.
Education PS Belio Kipsang refuted any plans of reclosing schools due to the pandemic. However, Education CS Magoha said reopening of the rest of learners might take longer than expected.
“We are not about to close schools unless advised by the Ministry of Health, but we are putting our heads together to work our modalities of reopening other classes,” Kipsang affirmed.
The Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe also said that stated closure of schools would be viewed at on a case by case basis.
“Instead of closing the entire school fraternity, you close the school that has been affected. That instead of closing the eateries, you close the ones that are not following the rules so that we can still be able to salvage the economy,” he said.
