KDF Should’ve Been Involved in Reopening of Schools – Gladys Shollei

Uasin Gishu Woman Representative Gladys Boss Shollei has taken a swipe at the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) for failing to assist in building infrastructure for schools amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Speaking during a panel discussion on Citizen TV, Shollei noted that the military in other countries built additional infrastructure to aid social distancing in schools, but in Kenya the military did nothing.

She noted that the pandemic is an emergency issue, and as such, the military should have been involved in a bid to develop infrastructure to enhance safety of pupils as they resume school.

“It is not the desk that is the shortage, it is the physically space in the classroom that we have actually been lacking even before Covid… I would have assumed that a proper functioning of a country should be saying let’s put up even if it is temporary housing whether it is tents being mounted by our army in order to create spaces for children to learn.

“Why is that in other countries we are seeing the military coming in to assist in building temporary housing, I haven’t heard a single thing from the Kenyan military, they are supposed to help us in cases of emergency just like this… As a parent I’m extremely worried,” she said.

Schools across the country re-opened on January 4, 2021 after nine months of being closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

A spot check across several schools indicated that social distancing was the major challenge due to lack of sufficient infrastructure.

In some schools, learners had to study under trees to reduce congestion in classes.