This archive report was first published on 24 September 2019.
DP Ruto Promises New School After Precious Talent Tragedy ¶
Deputy President William Ruto has assured residents of Dagoretti South, Nairobi, that the government will build a new primary school to reduce congestion in the area.
The announcement comes after the tragic collapse of a classroom at Precious Talent Top School on Monday, September 23, which left seven pupils dead and over 64 others hospitalized.
Speaking to the press on the same day, Ruto revealed that the government had plans to construct a new public school to avoid congestion in the area.
"The government will mobilise resources and produce KSh 20 million so that in the next three months we put up a public primary school that will be run by Lenana School. This will enhance access to education, foster quality learning and decongest the student population in other schools in the area," he said.
Education CS George Magoha had earlier confirmed that seven pupils died in the incident and more than 64 others were admitted to various hospitals, majority of them at Kenyatta National Hospital.
A Kenyan architect, Alfred Omenya, who visited the scene of the tragedy, noted that a number of technical aspects could have led to the collapse of the classrooms, including very poor quality construction and use of poor quality construction materials.
"Building structure was made up of feeble, poor quality 75 x 75 timber. Walling was made of recycled corrugated iron sheets. The building had a first floor slab made of thick concrete, laid on chicken wire, on timber off-cuts. The slab was not reinforced, and was too heavy for the timber structure; and with additional weight of the students (live load) the building was going to collapse one way or another," Omenya said.
