This archive report was first published on 24 June 2020.
On June 24, 2020, Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha outlined the government's plan to reopen schools in September, with a focus on ensuring the safety of pupils and teachers.
Speaking in Kitui county, Magoha stated that only 15-20 pupils will be allowed in one classroom once schools reopen, citing the need to maintain social distancing and prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Teachers will also report to schools two weeks before the reopening, allowing them to prepare the institutions for the return of pupils.
The government is manufacturing 24 million masks to ensure that each pupil gets two, and thermo guns will be a necessity for all learning institutions to facilitate temperature checks.
Additionally, schools will be required to ensure the availability of clean running water and soap for hand washing or hand sanitizers, and to frequently sanitize often-touched objects such as door knobs, light switches, and stair railings with disinfectant.
According to the Ministry of Health's projections, COVID-19 infections are expected to peak between August and September, after which cases in the country will start falling, making it possible to reopen learning institutions.
Universities will also follow similar guidelines, with University Education & Research Principal Secretary Amb. Simon Nabukwesi directing Vice Chancellors to facilitate students or lecturers who will be unable to make it back to their institutions to learn or teach from home.
President Uhuru Kenyatta had ordered the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education to engage stakeholders to set modalities for the reopening of schools by the third term beginning September 1, and to announce the new school calendar by mid-August.
