Cabinet Secretaries Mutahi Kagwe (Health) and George Magoha (Education) have not completely ruled out postponing the reopening of schools.
Speaking in an interview on Citizen TV Monday, CS Kagwe said they are keenly observing the Covid-19 positivity rate and the trajectory of daily recorded cases. He said his Ministry is also tracking the double mutant variant in India.
Kagwe said they would make an informed decision on whether to postpone school reopening after they are assured of the safety of both parents and students.
“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.
“Reopening of schools is particularly of concern and we are going to keep an eye on developments. In the meeting we had, we were briefed well by CS Magoha. We are confident that they (Ministry of Education) are taking sufficient steps at the moment and facing the pandemic in a better manner,” Kagwe said.
At the same time, the Health CS assured parents that the vaccination of teachers would go along way in preventing the spread of the virus in learning institutions.
“The main threat when it comes to schools is not the students. The challenge is the school workers and teachers. We have carried out vaccination on teachers and we are confident that we can still man the pandemic.
“It is a fluid situation and decisions will be made as we watch them and evolve them,” Kagwe said.
CS Magoha on his part asked all students and parents to prepare for the school reopening scheduled for Monday, May 10.
“The timetable remains as we had decided earlier in the year and by the grace of God, children will come to school at the time we said they should come to school,” he said.
