This archive report was first published on 24 September 2019.
On September 24, 2019, the tragic collapse of Precious Talent Academy in Nairobi exposed the rot in the education sector, construction industry regulators, and City Hall.
The tragedy claimed the lives of at least seven children and left many more injured, raising questions about the safety and quality of education in the city.
According to a task force report commissioned by then-Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero in 2014, the city authorities had not put up any new school since the 1980s, despite phenomenal population growth.
Today, Nairobi has a severe shortage of schools, with just 205 public primary schools catering to a combined enrolment of about 200,000 in a city of four million people and a school-going population of about 700,000.
Contrastingly, there are over 900 private and informal schools with a population of about 300,000, leaving just about 60 per cent of eligible children in schools.
The Education ministry must reclaim its authority, carry out an audit of all learning institutions, and close those that do not meet the required standards.
Inspections must be intensified, and rules enforced to ensure that schools meet the necessary specifications for safety and quality.
Those who approved the school and others like it must be held accountable and punished for their role in perpetuating the chaos in the education sector.
