Kagwe And Magoha Issue Condition For Postponing School Reopening

Ministry of Health, Mutahi Kagwe, and Education CS George Magoha have issued conditions that would compel them to postpone the reopening of schools scheduled for Monday, May 10.

According to an interview that was held on a national TV on Monday, April 26, Cs Mutahi Kagwe stated that they were analyzing the Covid-19 positivity rate and the trajectory of daily recorded cases. He added that they are tracking the double mutant variant in India.

They would make an informed decision on whether to reopen schools or not after they are assured of the safety of parents and students. Kagwe acknowledged that some students also reside in the diseased zone.

On 13^th April 2021, Education CS Prof. George Magoha reassured parents and guardians that schools shall reopen on May 10, 2021, as earlier planned.

CS George Magoha dispelled rumors that opening dates for primary and secondary schools may change over the third wave of coronavirus that has struck Kenya.

The CS said that the covid-19 curve was flattening and therefore there was no need to call education stakeholders to restructure the academic timetable.

The five counties are still under an inter-county lockdown and cessation of movement imposed by President Uhuru Kenyatta. They include Nakuru, Nairobi, Kiambu, Machakos and Kajiado. The measures set to curb the spread of Covid-19 are expected to expire on May 29, 19 days after schools reopen.

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“If the positivity rate rises and parents and students are put at risk, then we will be forced to postpone (reopening). There is no way we are going to risk the lives of our children at one time”. Kagwe said

Kagwe went on to assure parents that they were fighting the crisis in schools and that the vaccination of teachers would prevent the spread of the virus in the institutions.

On Monday, Kenya recorded 194 new COVID-19 cases from a sample size of 1,779 tested in the last 24 hours, marking a positivity rate of 10.9%. This now pushes the total number of confirmed positive cases to 156,981.

In a statement issued on Monday 26^th April, the Ministry of Health also announced that 21 deaths had been reported in the last 24 hours with one having occurred in the last 24 hours and 20 on diverse dates within the last one month. The cumulative fatalities now stand at 2,643.