Ministry of Education now states that the school calendar will be reviewed to secure learners from losing another academic year after the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Education Cabinet Secretary Professor George Magoha was speaking at Maragua Ridge Secondary School in Murang’a County during the inspection of desks and chairs in schools. The CS said the examination timetable will also be re-looked at and made known to the public.

Professor Magoha asked schools’ stakeholders to act properly on the re-opening to guarantee Ministry of Health protocols is adhered to in order to combat the spread of the coronavirus.

“I’m delighted to report that in most of the schools and institutions I have visited, the managements have done their best to ensure COVID-19 protocols and followed,” said Magoha.

“By next week Friday, all the desks and chairs (procured by the government) will be delivered to schools. Quality assurance officers to conduct an inspection to ensure the products delivered are of the quality to match with the Ksh.1.9 billion that the government set aside.”

The CS endeavoured to reassure carpenters who perfectly did their work that they will be paid their balances without delay. 5,254 secondary schools and 5,136 primary schools were identified by the government to benefit from the desk project.

“The jua kali artisans who will have delivered the furniture to schools by Friday next will be been paid their money through mobile money transfer system,” he said.

President Uhuru Kenyatta, while addressing the nation on Wednesday, ordered that all basic education in the country resumes in January 2021. Pronouncing from State House in Nairobi, President Kenyatta, however, remarked that learners who already reported back to schools and reopened school activities should continue.

“With respect to the examination classes that have already resumed learning, I hereby order that they continue with their learning and examination preparations but under heightened health safety measures, and also order that all basic education classes resume in-person learning in January 2021,” Magoha said.

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73 Covid-19 cases have been reported at Bahati Girls Secondary School, Nakuru County. 68 positives were students while 5 were teachers. Teachers Updates have also learned that 115 others have been quarantined following the shocking infections.

Nakuru county government Health CEC Dr Kariuki Gichuki confirmed the situation of the school with a population of 183 students. This means that all students have been quarantined in the institution.

“A team from the Health Department has been conducting COVID-19 prevention and management for learning institutions. The ongoing program targets teachers, students and non-teaching staff across the County,” He said.

A medical team has been assigned to monitor the students and teachers in isolation and quarantine at the institution, with Gichuki assuring the public that the Health Department is observing the COVID-19 situation across the County.

According to Dr Kariuki student announced that students who tested positive developed complications and are being attended at Nakuru PGH COVID-19 isolation and management centre. Gichuki urged Nakuru residents to remain calm as they continue to observe the COVID-19 prevention protocols.

Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET), Busia Branch have strongly criticized the isolation of 52 students and six teachers who contracted the coronavirus at Kolanya Boys Secondary School earlier this week. KUPPET argues that the isolation of victims in a dormitory is more worrying and creating tension.

President Uhuru Kenyatta chaired the Sixth Extraordinary Session of the National and County governments Summit on 4th of November 2020. The agenda was focused on COVID-19 and the decision made by the government to de-escalate COVID measures on 27th September 2020.

The National Emergency Response Committee and with the concurrence of the Sixth Extra-Ordinary Session of the National and County Governments decided on the following.

1. 1. All Cabinet Secretaries, Chief Administrative Secretaries and Principal Secretaries to scale-down all in-person engagements within Government and to take appropriate steps to foster the discharge of their mandates by themselves and their officers through virtual means where possible.
   2. All state and Public Officers aged above 58 years or who are immunocompromised to work remotely. With the exemption of those serving the nation in critical sectors.

1. 1. With respect to the Examination Classes that have already resumed learning, the president ordered that they continue with their learning and examination preparations under heightened health safety measures; with all other basic learning classes resuming in-person learning in January 2021.

1. 1. To foster the State’s preparedness towards the reopening of all other classes in our learning institutions, I, urge Members of Parliament to engage their respective NG-CDF Boards with a view of finding ways to augment the existing interventions that are geared towards reopening. I urge them to make investments that focus on additional handwashing points, face masks, general sanitation and physical distancing of students and teachers.

1. 1. All Political Gatherings and Rallies are Suspended for a period of 60 days with immediate effect. Anyone wishing to hold such meetings should do so in town halls and must observe all COVID protocols, including limiting the attendees to the one-third seating capacity of the hall.
   2. To enforce compliance at both the National and County level, president Kenyatta directs that the Ministry of Interior constitutes a Special Enforcement Unit made up of the National Police Service, National Government Administration Officers and supplemented by the County Government inspectorate units to jointly enforce compliance to COVID Protocols.

1. 1. That the nationwide curfew is extended up to 3rd January 2021.
   2. That beginning tonight 4th November, the curfew will now be enforced between 10.00 pm and 04.00 am.
   3. In consequence of the variation of the 10.00 pm curfew, all bars, restaurants, and other establishments open to the public must now close by 9.00 pm.

1. 1. In view of the restrictions within the hospitality sector, the president further urges all operators of Hotels, Restaurants, Eateries, Bars and establishments that sell alcohol on wholesale or retail terms to do all that is necessary to ensure enhanced compliance with the Ministry of Health’s Guidelines and Protocols.
   2. The directions governing religious gatherings remain unchanged: any indoor religious gathering other than for the purpose of a wedding or funeral shall have no more than one-third of its normal seating capacity occupied at a given sitting. The Ministry of Health guidelines remain in force. The Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government are hereby directed to ensure strict enforcement.

1. 1. County governments to maintain isolation facilities in a state of preparedness through continuous capacity building for healthcare workers, provision of adequate PPEs for healthcare workers and continuous implementation of Infection Prevention and Control measures and provision of piped/portable oxygen.
   2. Where there is an upsurge of COVID-19 cases in a specific County, the National Government will consult with the affected county to issue localized lockdowns and movement restrictions as may be necessary to stem the spread of the disease.

1. 1. County governments and other relevant government agencies to enhance and strictly enforce all public health social measures including hand washing, social distancing and mandatory wearing of masks in public places. and;

1. To enhance civic responsibility, the National and County Governments have resolved that going forward, services will not be rendered to anyone who does not abide by the Ministry of Health protocols. In that regard, “I call on the private sector to join the Government in the public sensitization campaign dubbed, ‘No mask, No service’ ‘Bila barakoa, hakuna huduma’.

In September Kenya’s COVID bed occupancy had initially gone down by 60% and we had flattened the curve to below the 5% positivity rate recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). Currently, the occupancy has now gone up by 140% during the 38 days of easing COVID measures.

“Our most successful fight against this virus was recorded after the measures we took on July 27th 2020. The stringent measures saw a fall in new cases from 4720 during the first week of July 2020 to 866 new cases during the second week of September 2020. But when we de-escalated measures in September 2020, the 866 new cases recorded in the second week of September rose to 6402 cases by the last week of October 2020.” The president noted.

Tweet to @TeachersUpdates

President Uhuru Kenyatta has suspended resumption of remaining classes. The head of state has announced that all basic education will resume learning in January 2021.

“With respect to the Examination Classes that have already resumed learning, I hereby order that they continue with their learning and examination preparations under heightened health safety measures; with all other basic learning classes resuming in-person learning in January 2021.” President Kenyatta stated.

To foster the State’s preparedness towards the reopening of all other classes in learning institutions, the president urged Members of Parliament to engage their respective NG-CDF Boards with a view of finding ways to augment the existing interventions that are geared towards reopening.

“I urge them to make investments that focus on additional handwashing points, face masks, general sanitation and physical distancing of students and teachers.”

This comes even as Voi Primary School got closed on Thursday as 3 teachers tested positive for the virus. 27 others were put under quarantine as they wait to be tested. This week also the highest number of covid-19 cases in school was reported in Kenya. Kolanya Boys Secondary School reported 60 cases of the virus a situation that turned the institution into quarantine facility.

In Siaya County, 15 cases were identified whereby 12 students and three teachers tested positive for the virus. Maranda High School identified 11 cases as Nyamninia Secondary, Siaya Township and Central primary school in Alego-Usoga reported few cases.

Kimilili Boys High School and Friends School Kamusinga revealed a total of 17 Covid-19 cases. On the 29th of October, Education PS announced that a total of 50 students from 35 schools had contracted the virus. This number has however changed since more new cases have been reported since then.

Death cases have also been reported since the resumption of class 8, Grade 4 and form 4 learners in October. Tononoka Secondary school and Olmaria High School in Mogotio have lost teachers due to the pandemic.

“October has been recorded as the most tragic month in our fight against COVID. Now we are staring at a new wave of this pandemic. And the question is, where did we go wrong? What could we have done differently?” President Kenyatta posed.

COVID positivity rate has shot up from 4% in September to an average of 16% in October. This is 4 times what the rate was in September. In October only, Kenya reported over 15,000 new cases of Corona infections and approximately 300 deaths according to the National Multi-Agency Command Centre on COVID- 19.

Reacting to the calls during an interview on Citizen TV on Wednesday, Honorable Wilson Sossion asked parents to remain undisturbed noting that conceding students to go back home could expose their families to risk, that is if they have been exposed to the virus.

Wilson Sossion said that parents should not be worried adding that learners who are in school must continue being in school. For the learners at home, he said the gov’t must prepare convincingly this time round to protect both learners and teachers

“Parents should not be worried. Learners who are in school cannot go home even medically it would be a mistake… If you say that students at Kolanya should go back home, you will be enhancing the spread of the disease at the community level,” he said responding to the 60 Covid-19 cases at Kolanya Boys School on Tuesday.

He further noted that the current occurrences in schools have provided key lessons that will guide the government in set measures to facilitate the full reopening of schools. “When we reopened schools and allowed only a small group of students this was for schools to test the infrastructure of COVID-19 preventive measures. These are the lessons and experiences we have to learn.” He concluded.

📌 https://t.co/JaenY7AlC5

— KENYA NATIONAL UNION OF TEACHERS (@KNUT_KE) November 4, 2020

KMPDU Secretary-General Chibanzi Mwachonda noted that School reopening and the current situation is not unique to Kenya as it has happened in other countries. “Let the final years remain in school but they must be provided with masks and teachers must be provided with adequate PPEs. Schools must also provide transport for their children. The other learners should remain home for now.”

Chibanzi Mwachonda – Sec Gen, KMPDU: Let the final years remain in school but they must be provided with masks and teachers must be provided with adequate PPEs. Schools must also provide transport for their children. The other learners should remain home for now.#DayBreak pic.twitter.com/OBPvJXk5UM

— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) November 4, 2020

AON Minet is under probe by the Senate for disgracing teachers who seek medical attention. Nominated Senator Rose Nyamunga tabled According to a statement tabled the matter before the committee stating that teachers were facing endless challenges while seeking medical attention in the AON accredited hospitals.

The Senate now wants the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to check at the happening and rescue teachers it's from the common violation and give them support. The mortification of teachers when attempting to get Medical attention is considerably ironical bearing in mind the billions pumped into the AON medical scheme every year.

“The teachers of this country are a frustrated lot and they feel their lives are potentially endangered by the poor services being offered under AON Minet,” Ms Nyamunga said

Double taxation on educators’ Salaries 

Moreover, the Senate seeks to know why there are double deductions on teachers’ payslips for medical coverage yet they suffer from notably poor services.

In 2019, Minet was granted a Ksh9 billion tender to insure teachers. In 2020, this year, the firm acquired a Ksh12 billion tender for another time and yet another Ksh14 billion is yet to be given to the insurance company next year.

The investigations are at the introductory stages with the Kenya National Union of Teachers, KNUT Secretary General Wilson Sossion being summoned to appear before the Senate to answer to the assertions levelled on Minet.

One of the accusations levelled toward Minet is the great low capitation on teachers’ outpatient services. It also appeared that some teachers are qualified for very low capitation of Kshs900 shillings which is not enough to provide for the doctor’s consultation fee, examinations and drugs.

Given the insufficient sum allocated, teachers are bound to pay for the tests and obtain drugs using their pocket money. The AON Minet has also been accused of slow approval of said small amount leading to frustrations.

Senator Nyamunga says, the insurance company risks the lives of teachers considering that some approvals take up to 4 weeks.

Substandard services

The Senate has also remarked that teachers are handled with substandard services that do not commensurate the double reductions on their payslips. The Kenyan teachers are also restricted from seeking medical services from other hospitals of their choice.

Additionally, the majority of the AON approved hospitals are less equipped and have incompetent or unqualified staff.

 “The teachers of this country are frustrated and feel that their lives are at risk owing to the extremely poor services offered under Minet,” Nyamunga stated.

Below are some of the tweets of frustrated teachers

It's too sad that today evening, we had to lose one teacher due to negligence by #AonMinet hospital agents in Kisumu. For how long shall teachers suffer in the hands of this cruel insurance medical cover? Rip Mr. Ondu. #AonMinet must just go! 😭😭😭#TeachersUnions#TSCOnline

— FeladyMiheso (@FeladyM) November 1, 2020

#maishaconcertfriday AON minet is an insurance company Contracted by TSC it deducts 2000ksh from Teachers for medical cover yet …No hospital is accepting their card … Broadlight Thiefery by TSC @AtwoliDza @kipmurkomen @MarthaKarua @NelsonHavi

— Edwin karanja wámbui (@EdwinKaranja001) October 30, 2020

Teachers are said to report that the services offered by AON Minet are not only poor in terms of quality but also too restrictive to benefit them. In addition, despite the significant deduction by both NHIF and AON Minet on their payslips, there are no commensurate services.

— Mzalendo (@MzalendoWatch) October 5, 2020

Teachers are said to report that the services offered by AON Minet are not only poor in terms of quality but also too restrictive to benefit them. In addition, despite the significant deduction by both NHIF and AON Minet on their payslips, there are no commensurate services.

— Mzalendo (@MzalendoWatch) October 5, 2020

Voi primary school in Taita Taveta County has closed following the shock of three teachers testing positive for Covid-19. At least 27 pupils have been put on quarantine according to the Education Ministry.

The closing of the learning institution was confirmed by the Taita Taveta County Education Director Samson Wanjohi.

This comes just a day after another shocking revelation by Busia County Governor Sosperter that a total of 60 students, teachers and support staff had contracted the virus.

The Education ministry has maintained that schools will not be reclosed due to the coronavirus case increase arguing that learners are safer in schools than at home.

The reopening date for the rest of learners remains unknown even as the education task force is yet to decide and update the country on what is to follow.

Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers has been urging the state to shut down schools following the increased infection rates among learners, teachers and non-teaching staffs.

A court has ordered the Higher Education Loans Board (Helb) to pay a lawyer Ksh10 million for mistakenly blacklisting her as a loan defaulter.

Justice James Makau also ordered Helb to apologise to Eunice Ng’ang’a in at least two national newspapers for embarrassing and tarnishing her name.

“This Court takes judicial notice to the fact that whoever is ever listed by any of the Credit Reference Bureaus (CRBs) following adverse information or report cannot be taken as a person worthy granting a loan or doing business with otherwise. The person loses all respect and dignity,” Justice Makau said.

“I am alive to the fact that an adverse report from CRB is not a light joke and no prudent business person would go about giving a loan or entering into a business contract with someone who has an adverse report from CRB.”

In 1995, Ms Ng’ang’a unsuccessfully applied for a Helb loan. Interestingly, the HELB later gave Sh8,000 to Maseno University as a loan intended for Ng’ang’a’s education even though Mr Ng’ang’a never learned in the institution in the first place.

For about 21 years Helb kept quiet about the loan yet its rules dictate a loanee to begin repayment of funds paid to him or her one year after finishing education.

Helb insisted that it pursued Ng’ang’a many times between 1999 and 2016, requesting her to return the Sh8,000 but she was evasive. Ng’ang’a countered the agency’s accusations, saying notwithstanding having secured admission to Maseno University, she never joined the institution and hence did not use the loan.

Inaccurately flagged

Helb reversed the money on 15th of February 2016. Yet, in 2018, it emailed her informing her that she had been filed with the Credit Reference Bureau (CRB) as a defaulter. Helb maintained in its court records that her name was mistakenly flagged due to a malfunction in the system.

The admitted that in 2016 it had obtained the loan from Maseno University. Ng’ang’a had also accused Trans Union Kenya and Metropol Credit Reference Bureau Ltd who luckily turned the blame to Helb, claiming that their role was just to keep the data transmitted to them and distribute it to their subscribers.

They informed the court they removed her name in 2019 following Helb notification. Ng’ang’a stated that she had sought on many occasions to notify Helb about the mistake but the agency always instructed her to put her complaints in writing. Justice Makau stated it was odd for Helb to issue such directions.

“This was weird and wrong since the petitioner had lodged her complaint as required under Regulation 35(5) of the Credit Reference Bureau Regulation 2013,” he said.

The law demands that a CRB probe within 2 weeks after somebody has reported that he or she has been mistakenly listed. If a credit bureau does not conclude its investigation within 3 weeks, the law states it shall delete the debated information as demanded by the customer.

The judge noticed that Ng’ang’a wrote to Metropol on the first day of January last year, and by the time the 21-day petition period was over, it had not removed her name. Eunice Nganga demonstrated that despite requesting Metropol to provide her with information which Helb had given to it, the company refused.

“I wrote emails to the Credit Reference Bureau and made several telephone calls but it refused to act on my pleas,” she said.

52 students, 6 teachers and 2 non-teaching staff have tested positive for COVID-19 at the Salvation Army Kolanya Boys High School in Busia County bringing a total number of 60 cases in just one school.

The sixty positive cases were established from a hundred samples that randomly picked for testing at the institution. Busia County Governor Sospeter Ojaamong confirmed the case to the press on Tuesday 3rd November 2020.

Addressing the press Ojaamong stated that the positive cases have been isolated at the school premises and medical staff have been stationed to guide and maintain them.

The Governor said that the rest of the learners, teachers and support staff have been quarantined within the school compound.

The Governor revealed that testing exercise has been ongoing at Alupe KEMRI laboratories, at the Busia County Referral Hospital and KEMRI CDC Kisumu.

He announced that the county’s isolation centres have managed to handle over 2000 cases, most of whom have been discharged, leaving only 2 cases under medical care.

The Governor Sospeter stated that COVID-19 fatalities recorded in Busia county are disseminated as follows: Bunyala Sub-county 4, Butula Sub-county 2, Nambale Sub-county, Samia Sub-County, Teso North and Matayos reporting one death each.

This comes even as the Education Cabinet Secretary professor George Magoha maintains that schools will remain open despite the spike in coronavirus cases in schools.

The Education CS has maintained that learners are safer at school than at home even as the education task force is yet to meet and decide the fate of the rest of learners who are still at home waiting for the ministry’s directive.

Summary:

• Following the success in the recent Grade Four assessments, the state is warming up to fully continue with face-to-face learning amidst the rising crisis of the Covid-19 with estimated 18,000 teachers set to undergo Competence-Based Curriculum (CBC) training.

The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has rolled out training programs for teachers of CBC from November 23rd to December 5th 2020. This is according to the circular seen by Teachers Updates released by TSC National Director of Quality Assurance and Standards Dr Reuben Nthmal.

Sent to TSC Regional directors, the circular indicates that the training will commence when the school terms advance on the stipulated dates and will be carried out in two phases.

The first concourse will begin on the 23rd of November and conclude on November 28th. This will include Curriculum Support Officers (CSO), Training of Trainers (TOTS) and CBC champions, Special Needs Education CBC (SNE)

This is accompanied by Teacher Training in each zone at the zonal level. The SNE teachers as well undergo training at the zonal level from 29th November to 5th December. National Masters Training will instruct the CBC champions and the Curriculum Support Officers (CSO) at the county level.

Headteachers will be expected to attend the exercise for one day followed by zonal teacher training where training will take place for 5 days. Regular and special school teachers from Grade 1 to 3 will be represented by one teacher per Grade while Grade Four will be represented by 2 teachers.

Dr Nthamburi warned against replacing CBC Champions urging county directors to appoint two CBC champions to deliver the training in areas without CSOs. The Teachers Service Commission has trained 339,743 public and private school tutors on Competency-Based-Curriculum.

This comes as plans to roll out CBC for Grade 5 are in place according to Education PS Dr Bello Kipsang who affirmed that all books for Grade Five have been approved, printed and distributed.

learners.