About 700 students of St Marys Shibuye Girls Boarding Primary School in Shinyalu, Kakamega County have been affecting by destructive winds that ended up blowing off three of their classrooms.
Kakamega East Sub-county Quality Assurance Patrick Akhulia said that at around 5pm, the area experienced torrential rainfall which was accompanied by powerful gusts of wind.
He added, “Classes were in session when the thunderstorm started but we thank God no pupil or teacher was injured.”
County education officials said that following the incident, the capacity of the remaining classrooms had been stretched.
The school of about 700 pupils now have at least 100 pupils per classroom, exceeding the Ministry of Education’s recommended 40 pupils per class.
“The school needs urgent intervention to repair the roofs, renovate the dilapidated classes that were built in the 1960s, and put up new structures without interfering with normal learning,” Akhulia said.
Local MP Justus Kizito visited the school and said teachers should ensure the students’ safety by writing to the Education ministry and the National Government Constituencies Development Fund on the challenges they were facing.
“Schools with infrastructural challenges that need urgent intervention should present their proposals,” said Mr Kizito, adding that funds would be set aside to renovate the classrooms.