Monday May 14, 2018
Schoolchildren drenched in rain /FILE
A majority of schools in Mandera remain closed as the term entered the third week because of torrential rains.
The Star has learnt that the few schools that are not submerged by floodwaters are hosting displaced people.
Many teachers have not reported back to work after schools closed for April holiday.
The non-local teachers travelled upcountry. The few buses that are still plying the Nairobi to Mandera are now taking four to five days for a journey that normally takes two days during the dry season.
The rains have rendered many roads in Northern Kenya impassable. The only tarmacked road in the region ends in Garissa.
Speaking to the Star on phone, area Kenya National Union of Teachers secretary Kullow Mohamed appealed to the school heads to give teachers more time to report back to work.
“We understand our children’s education is badly affected since the second term has already started. But, there is nothing we can do to stop the rains because it is mother nature,” Kullow said.
Since the floods started, the two counties of Mandera and Wajir have been the worst hit with prices of food commodities being hiked.