The High Court of Kenya has suspended the rolling out of Community-Based-Learning which the Ministry of Education was is planning to use to engage pre-primary, secondary and primary school learners during this Coronavirus pandemic.

Ministry of Interior, TSC and the education ministry were in their final preparation step of kicking off the program that would impact Covid-19 related knowledge and life skills to learners as they await for the 2021 school reopening.  

The program that is set to be conducted in September, in villages and towns, saw thousands of teachers enrolling to work hand in hand with local administrators and leaders of various communities. 

On Wednesday, Justice Makau suspended the CBL program due to the accusation by a parent, Joseph Enock Aura, that Teathers Service Commission and the Ministry of Education failed to engage the public in it's implementation plan.

The accuser wants schools reopened in 1st of September claiming that learners including his children are affected by the school closure. He added that since the suspension of face-to-face learning, the government has extremely failed to install possible solutions to curb the pandemic and allowing children back to school. 

In his petition represented by lawyer Harrison Kinyanjui, he states that the closing of learning institutions does not offer solution to the coronavirus pandemic, since it is impossible to certify its rate of mortality. 

He continues to state that the closing of schools has instilled pain and suffering on learners especially to the final year school candidates. He also accused Health CS Mutahi Kagwe together with Education CS Magoha, of not consulting education stakeholders in their planings.

Lastly, through affidavit, he accuses the two cabinet secretaries of consistent expression of careless indifferences. He believes that due to parent's tight schedules, learner's idleness and access to online materials, children continue to risk their lives more at home than in schools as witnessed in the  cases of teenage pregnancies, access of adult contents among others.

He wants the acts of turning more than 400 institutions of learning into quarantine centers be declared illegal as it violates the public health act. Mr Aura seeks the determination of court as to whether President Muigai's March 25th school closure  directive holds any legality in the constitution.

He argues that it was illegal since the directive was never gazetted or approved by members of Parliament at the National Assembly and therefore clising schools was a violation of children's right to education. 

The case was urgently certified as two days period was given to Mr Aura to serve Health ministry, Education ministry, Attorney General NCCS with the petition for response filing. The case was set to be mentioned on 9th of September 2020.

Education CS Magoha on Reopening Learning Institutions. 

On 19th August, Education CS Magoha said he will only reopen schools when the minimum Covid-19 precaution measures are met adding that president Uhuru is the only person who can reopen schools. He noted that even when these conditions are met, President Kenyatta will be responsible for the decision to resume face-to-face leaning in schools. 

Speaking at Siaya Institute of Technology in Siaya County in an inspection tour of readiness to resume studies, Magoha said the Ministry of Education is facing obstacles in ensuring conditions are met before reopening of institutions. 

He pleaded with the Kenyans not to listen to those demanding the resumption of studies in schools for candidates adding that education is less important than the lives of learners. Giving examples of South Africa and United States of America which were in hurry to reopening schools, Magoha revealed a virus infection of over hundred-thousand learners in U.S as many kids lost their lives. 

It was on 7th Aug, 2020 when the education CS made it public that education normalcy may not resume in Jan next year where he revealed that financial constraints was hindering the progress of school-reopening. He insisted that resumption of face-to-face schools learning will depend on the rate of Covid-19 infection rate. 

The virtually suspension of the 2020 school calendar has reasons for millions of learners in Kenya to worry about as the probability for school-going children to stay at outside schools continues to loom high, as witnessed in the universities case where September reopening date was forwarded. 

When facing the members of assembly few days ago, Magoha publicly hinted that there was no definate reopening date for schools in Kenya as he insisted that resumption of learning will depend on the coronavirus trend. 

He noted that without vaccinations to curb the pandemic, normal school situation won't support education as many public learning institutions do not meet the minimum requirements health conditions. However in his recent remarks, Prof Magoha announced that studies may resume earlier than the expected January 1st.

He expressed government's willingness to reopen institutions of learning any time as long as the pandemic cases decline.  Recently low covid-19 Cases have been captured in the country as expressed by President Kenyatta. 

Education Permanent Secretary Dr Belio Kipsang on Tuesday said that plans are in place to benefit learners from marginalized communities with community based learning. He however distanced from the claims that CBL is there to replace virtual learning adding that both CBL and virtual learning are complementary. 

He said Community-based-learning is meant to provide the disadvantaged learners such as those in rural areas with opportunity to access education noting that it's impossible to substitute both Virtual learning and Community-based-learning. 

Kipsang revealed that mapping of teachers and learners is ongoing in order to identify the number of leaners who have been unable to access online learning. Mapping will enable the Ministry of Education to identify halls, grounds and places where learning will take place. 

Speaking on spice FM on Tuesday, Kipsang noted that school grounds, community fiels and playing grounds will help meet the program agenda. He revealed that over 300,000 educators have registered for the program and commitees put in place to analyze the situation in all counties. 

He promised that the program might begin by 2nd of August this year at national level adding that CBL has already been implemented in a few villages, where teachers got educated on how to cope with the situation. 
He assured the country that the government will give out soaps and masks but for schools to reopen, Covid-19 infection rate must flatten

He joined Education CS in saying that there's a probability of reopening learning institutions should the infection rising trend fluctuates as expirenced now. He added that since the Covid-19 situation is unpredictable they have to engage learners in various ways such as in community based learning. 

According to Kipsang, around 6.5 kenyan billion shillings is needed to enhance schools infrastructure before reopening. He admitted that Kenya neeeds a better different mode of learning that will help us when we face such problems in future noting that virual programs should be included in learning. 

The Community-based-learning has been echoed by Kuppet secretary general Mr Misori who said that the program will help in the current situation adding that teachers should not feel like they are being punished by engaging learners in villages. 

Parent however could not buy Magohas's idea of reopening schools in January a move that saw parents in court seeking an order for education ministry to reopen third term learning in schools. The also want an order that will prevent Community-based-learning from taking place. 

There's a probability that learners may resume studies before the projected 1st January next year. This is according to Education CS Magoha who said that if the Covid-19 infection rate declines, he will have no other option than to reopen schools. 

Speaking during his Migori County assessment tour he promised that the Ministry of Education will review the academic calendar should the curve flattens or go down adding that reopening of schools will be guided by the safety of children in schools. 

Early last week the CS had said noted that reopening of schools is also affected by lack of enough capital and resources to install the Covid-19 prevention protocols. Reports from the health ministry indicates that the curve is starting to flatten. 

He assured the country that the Ministry is doing all its best to make sure that learners return back to school safely by installing enough water in the institutions, providing sanitizers among other precaution measures. He said the government is in the process of issuing face masks where necessary. 

Okoth Obado the Migori County governor asked Uhuru Kenyatta's administration to look into improving infrastructure in learning institutions for the safety of learners when schools reopen. He urged parents to be responsible with their children at home to avoid cases of earlier pregnancies. 

Education CS George Magoha has assured teachers of their salaries whether they participate in Community-based-learnings or not, a contradiction of what Chief Administrative Secretary Zack Kinuthia had said. 

Mr Kinuthia through his Facebook wall had told teachers that their salaries won't be paid if they were not registered for Community-based-learnings. Education CS said on Sunday that teachers salaries won't be tied to the Community-based-learnings program.

He said that teachers who will be part of the program have already been mapped out by the Teachers Service Commission however encouraged more tutors to register. The program is expected to start in the first day of September this year. 

The program which is yet to be rolled out by the Ministry of Education in collaboration with the National and county governments is in target of Secondary students and primary pupils for a face-to-face four hour lessons each day. Coronavirus containment measures will be strictly adhered to. 

He said the education ministry is fully prepared for the program which is aimed at guiding learners cope with the emotional and social impacts of the coronavirus pandemic and to rightfully get the knowledge about the virus. The teachers will be tasked to guide learners in guidance and counseling as well as life skills and values. 

UNICEF, WORLD BANK AND WHO CALLS FOR REOPENING OF SCHOOLS 

United Nation agencies had warned of possible hurting of learners should the school closure continue for long. The World Health Organisation has for some days now been championing for early safe resumption of learning despite the high Covid-19 infection rate. 

United Nations Children’s Fund also has been in talks with governments urging them not to be blinded by the fight to contain the virus warning of a high possle outcome of raising up a lost generation. According to UNICEF, it is very harmful to let children stay at home longer. 

Both WHO and UNICEF argue that learners are undergoing stressful life as they lack proper nutrition and are exposed to dangerous exploitative violence early pregnancies, and mental challenges due to lack of proper interactions. They are calling for schools to reopen just like businesses. 

Led by Mr Malick Fall the East and South Africa regional director of Unicef they say their decision based on the reseach and analysis of the risks encountered by school going children as schools remain closed. 

Their sentiments were bitterly opposed by Education CS Magoha who has accused them of playing double games adding that they recieved protocols from the two organizations and which applies to every human including learners. He promised never to put any child at risk. 

While comparing Kenya to other nations, the cabinet secretary noted the Kenya and Africa continent was doing better than Asian countries. He said Kenyan government loves it's children and went further to ask whether WHO and Unicef assume Africans are guinea pigs. 

Education CS strictly assured Kenyans that schools will continue with the closure and for the case of reopening only president Kenyatta will decide whether to take the risking action. 

Teachers have been warned that they must participate in community-based learning to safeguard their salary payments. Education CAS Kinuthia warned that failure to register will be termed as absconding of duty adding that any interference to this program will lead to arrest and Prosecution. 

He clarified the confusion in the public domain by denying that the current education curriculum will be replaced by Community Based Learning. According to the CAS, the government is not ready to see children die at any cost. 

He revealed that in only Kilifi County more than 4500 primary school teachers and 1300 secondary school teachers have already registered compared to a total number of  5757 and 1765 government teachers consecutively, putting doubt of the salary payment of the unregistered teachers. 

On Friday he had met the officers from the Ministry of Health at Kilifi County over the matter. Also present at the meeting was the security department of education ministry. Basic education will be conducted in villages on tree shades and social halls. Open grounds will also act as learning centers. 

Covid-19 health precaution measures requires learners to put on face masks and engage in small groups of 15 students to enhance social distance. Regular sanitization and washing hands will be practiced as the Ministry of Education is tasked to make sure that no school-going children will miss the program. 

He added that a group of 15 learners is idealistic as it gives learners satisfactory opportunity for them to be engaged by teachers as noting that teachers should take advantage of the CBL since children are not aliens. He also said that both the National government and the county governments will provide masks and water for learners. 

Universities and colleges will carry their own students health observations as the Community-based-learnings is meant for the secondary students, pre-primary and primary school pupils only. Mr Zachary Kinuthia noted that the safety of children and their teachers will be safeguarded by the government. 

One of the most heartbreaking news in Kenya today is how most teachers are suffering during this pandemic. With family responsibilities on their shoulders and bills to pay, one wonders how this unpaid Bom, Private teachers and the non-teaching staffs survive. We've heard of private schools turning into chicken firms just to save its staff from starving. 

It's not shocking to find a teacher on the construction sites, kiosks among other casual works that you won't expect them to do. However, this is a survival tactic that many teachers do in order to put food on the table. It is even a demotion for a teacher to come out of teaching right away to hawking. What a shameful government that less care about its professional citizens. 

One of the latest updates on how teachers survive is of a school director for the 148 students school for the disabled in Juja. George Mwangi in Witeithie has captured the attention of teachers' suffering in just a fraction of what many teachers are undergoing. According to Citizen TV, the teacher has been forced to reside right in his office due to the tough economic situation. 

The 38 years old St Georges Cornerstone School's founder has not been spared by the Covid-19 situation that led to school closure. He has been selling sweets in his village Witeithie, a village popularly known for labourers and quarry miners. Mr Mwangi is much respected and regarded as a blessing to society. 

COVID-19 continues to expose the weaknesses of the Kenyan governing system. 

When he founded the institution in 2015, Mwangi had a great vision of ensuring that the vulnerable children get educated at a secondary level just like every Kenyan citizen. It is remembered that at the time the school was started only Mangu School existed in the region but most people in the society could not afford school fees due to it's social and financial status. 

In Mwangi's school kindness was one of the policies where the poor could receive uniforms even with the little amount of money they had. Some could pay fees in exchange for labour in the institution while others could bring items in exchange for an education. 

Since school closure, his teachers turned into construction workers as some had to go back to their rural areas after being kicked out of their rental homes. Mr Mwangi whose wife is a teacher by profession couldn't help the situation when they were also kicked out of their rental premise.

Later on his wife had to leave with their three children to one of his relatives in Nyeri after their shop project collapsed. That's when he was forced to hawk just to earn between ksh100 to ksh200, an amount that does nothing other than feed his stomach. The physically handicapped teachers have to deny himself food in order to send a little to his family. 

This is the situation that most teachers have to undergo in order to survive. Mr Mwangi now wants the government to help honour its pledge of saving private school teachers from suffering. The state had promised to give out ksh7,000,000,000 loan to private schools to enable them to pay teachers and other employees.

Board of Management teachers are also expecting to receive funds from the ministry of education probably before the end of this week as promised. 

A court case is emerging as the Education Ministry is warming up for Community based education. Education CS Magoha has occasionally stated that studies will resume in 2021, probably in January depending on the Covid-19 situation. 

If the virus infection rate will continue to strike higher then this means that the schools might not be able to resume in January next year. Many schools continue to shut down on daily basis as the effects of schools closure strikes harder on the economy of the country. 

According to Harrison Kinyanjui a popular Kenyan lawyer, Education CS must reopen schools just like churches and restaurants or else they meet in court for the rights of his clients, young schooling children headed by Mr Aura Enoch. 

In a letter written on 14th of August to CS Magoha, copied to the Ministry of Health and to the Attoney General, Mr Harrison noted that social places like churches and restaurants are more dangerous than schools when it comes to the spread of coronavirus pandemic. 

The government has been mobilising learners to attend learning in their villages even as matters of adequate teaching and learning resources continues to emerge. 

Supporting community based learning, Mr Kahi Indimuli who is Chairman of Kessha urged parents to take their children to nearby learning centers so as not to indulge in high transport and boarding expenses.

Mr Harrison used examples of countries like Tanzania, Denmark, Sweden, Uruguay, Democratic Republic of Congo, United Kingdom, USA, Taiwan, Netherlands, Italy Germany, France, Ivory Coast,  just to name a few that have resumed learning in schools despite high Covid-19 Cases.

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS SUED FOR EXPENSIVE' ONLINE LEARNING

International schools have been conducting virtual lessons to make sure that their curriculum is less affected by the coronavirus crisis. However more battles continue to emerge in courts as parents fight the expensive fees charged by the institutions. 

In Kisumu County, parents head to court led by Lady Justice Thrispisa Cherere seeking an order to stop the high school fees levied by Kisumu Education Society Trust. The schools that reopened in April has been offering online classes at a full normal fees without parents' consultation. 

The community and nonprofit organization managages several leaning institutions incliding Kisumu Senior Academy, Kisumu Junior Academy and Mahavir Nursery School. The parents also seek the intervention of the Ministry of Education and Attorney General so that they may be allowed to pay less 30 per cent of school fees and be allowed to form an association of Parents and Teachers. 

In the suite, they also ask Ministry of Education to formulate rules and policies that will be used in regulating the Basic Education Act and guiding education institutions  when it comes online learning.

UNIVERSITY VICE CHANCELLOR TO BE SUED FOR CORRUPTION 

Prof. Mary Walingo of Masai Mara University will appear before court on Monday 24th to answer greaft charges. The professor was suspended in 2019 when she was the vice Chancellor for the institutions after her case went viral on her corruption scandals in office. 

Director of Public Prosecution Mr Haji had disclosed that he has enough evidence of how the VC and others conspired to steal money from the university. Her Deputy Vice Chancellors for administration Dr Ole Sano and DVC for academics Dr Almadi Obere together with Biket Okumu, Noor Abdi a driver to Professor Walingo won't be spared either. 

It is reported that the five withdrew KSh177 million from the university's accounts without following proper procedures when Professor Obere was the academic DVC in 2009. Vice Chancellor Walingo is believed to have ordered her finance officers to engage in the corruption scandal where she signed fictious cheques together with the Deputy VC for finance. 

It was this matter that led to the suspension of the suspension of the VC. The DCI and the DPP both took charge of the public matter as they all claim money meant for public use was directed to individual gains. 

Teacher Jane Waruguru Ngunjiri, a CRE and History  teacher at Angela's Girls Secondary School has been reportedly missing since June 15th, 2020 when it was alleged that she had gone to Town to guarantee a fellow teacher who wanted to access a loan. 

That evening she could not be found on her phone either an incident that made her family report a missing person case to the police. Ndegwa and Madam Jane's family started looking for her everywhere including in police stations and mortuaries but all was in vain. 

Some decided to wait perhaps she could avail herself since she had not conflict with anyone at home while some continued to seach for her. 

Madam Jane, aged 51 years, resided in South C area in Nairobi County together with her husband Ndegwa, aged 20 years and their three children. She was a quiet, respected hardworking woman whose class always ranked top in her school. 

Last Friday, her unrecognizable decomposed body was found in a forest, along a river in Eastern Bypass in Nairobi by the police who later took it to City Mortuary. It was then when her husband Ndegwa was called to find if it was his wife. To his shock, he could firstly recognize her dead wife via her clothes and teeth pattern. 

DNA samples were taken on Monday for the daughter and father as well an an exhaustive postmortem analysis. The body will be released upon the matching of the analysis results. 

Since school closure, Madam Jane spent most of her time at home doing a lot of physical exercises and guiding her 2nd child born in revision of her KCSE exam. Her family said it was a relief to find her as it is closer to moving on but hoped that no one could be going through such hard times especially during this season. 

However, as to who killed her, or how she was killed is a question that her family keep asking themselves even as the police dig deep into the incident of a suspected murder.

The government has set conditions to be followed upon reopening of studies in universities. Through a circular note directed to the Kenyan universities Vice Chancellors,  Secretary Amb. Simon Nabukwesi expressed his fears on the projection by the Ministry of Health which shows that the Covid-19 pandemic will hit its peak between the month of August and September thereafter learning institutions may resume to normalcy.

He directed the Vice Chancellors to come up with reopening strategies for learning and to ensure that the laid down prevention measures by the Ministry of Health are properly adhered to.

The prevention measures include social distancing, use of sanitizers, clean running water and handwashing soap, use of thermo guns for monitoring body temperature for all persons using the institutions facilities, use of face masks and face shields for learners, lectures and non teaching staffs in which the Government has directed the Vice Chancellors to provide them at a subsidized rate.

While observing that most learning facilities are used for quarantine purposes, the managers have been requested to liase with the Ministry of Health to ensure that further admissions are stopped and new patients are taken to health facilities. 

Further the Universities managers have been asked to ensure all facilities used for treating Covid-19 patients are fumigated before reopening of learning and that they ensure eligibility and offer assistance to students who may have difficulty in resuming studies due to the Covid-19 effects

Kenyan Catholic Bishops have come out strongly to oppose the introduction of sex education in the country. While criticizing Exploitation of children sexualy, the bishops who were led in a Holy Mass celebration by Nyahururu's Bishop Rt. Rev. Joseph Mbatia noted that for sure values and virtues needs to be taught to children. 

The bishops drew attention to the challenges faced by Kenyans during this covid-19  pandemic, citing domestic violence, lack of basic needs, substance abuse, defilement, alcohol and substance abuse calling upon the government to support and allow the bereaved families to bury their loved ones in dignity.

The Bishops further wants the senate to withdraw withdrawal the abotion bill.