This archive report was first published on 29 September 2019.
Pupils in Poorly Constructed Slum School Court Death ¶
On September 29, 2019, Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha ordered the immediate closure and demolition of St Catherine Bombolulu Primary School in Kibera, Nairobi, after a visit.
The school, located in a densely populated slum area, was found to be a death trap with poorly constructed structures, noise from other classes, and a lack of basic facilities such as a playground and assembly point.
During the visit, Magoha was shown around the school and witnessed the deplorable conditions, including a classroom with a ceiling made of plywood covered with black polythene, a rusty metal staircase, and two toilets shared by pupils and teachers.
The school's staff room had only two desks facing each other and a cupboard, and there were only two teachers present when the visit took place.
The pupils were relieved that someone had noticed the danger they were courting in search of education and a better future, but they were left with many questions, including whether their teachers would move with them to a new school and whether their parents could afford to keep them in the new school.
The closure of St Catherine Bombolulu Primary School may have been a saving grace for the pupils, following the collapse of a classroom at Precious Talent School in Nairobi, which claimed the lives of eight pupils.
