Government has recalled its directive has shut down 15 schools set up in areas targeted in the second phase of evictions in the Mau Forest, in order to allow candidates in the schools to sit for their national examinations uninterrupted in October.
This comes as a relief to families in the area who cried foul over the closure of school during the opening dates for the third term in which candidates are supposed to sit for their national exams as security forces had issued stern warnings to teachers not to allow pupils into the schools.
Earlier on, Rift Valley Regional Commissioner George Natembeya had the schools were not government institutions and have been set up in the area illegally riding on schools gazetted and legally established in the area.
Among the schools that were to be shut down included; Kirobon Centre, Senetwet Centre, Kapsilibwo Centre, Kitoben Centre, Indianit Centre, Kabarak Centre, Noosagami Centre, Chorwet Centre, Ogilge Centre, Sebetet Centre, Olabai Centre, Koitabai Centre, Chebirbelek Centre, Chebetet Centre and Lelechwet Centre.
Natembea maintained that the families are required to move upon the expiry of the 60-day grace period that he had announced last week, which coincides with the last day of the national examinations, urging households with no children in school to make good use of the grace period to slowly leave the forest.
“We made a decision to let the pupils go back to school until after the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) which will be done at the lapse of the 60 days window to allow the settlers move,” said Mr Natembeya.
While the majority of the schools were not registered as examination centres, Natembeya said that any of the schools with Class 8 candidates will not be interfered with.
