Students and parents have complained of long queues that are being witnessed at Busia Stage due to shortage of vehicles as student’s resume to school.
The parents, led by Joseph Adelina who has a child at Kakamega High school, said they are experiencing vehicle shortage due to the large number of students traveling to various schools.
He expressed fear that many students may not get to school on time.
“I urge the heads of schools to bear with the situation and allow students who will get to school past the recommended time to be in school,” he said. He also added that the government should make interventions in schools that were affected by floods and ensure all children have gone to school.
Vivian Akinyi, a student at Chwele girls’ high school expressed her fear of not getting to school on time.
“I was at this stage very early hoping to get a vehicle and be in school on time. Unfortunately, I have been forced to wait for long and now I am worried about not getting to school on time,’ she said. Akinyi appreciated the government’s decision to re-open schools adding that candidates needed to be close to teachers as they prepare for the National exams.
‘I am happy that I am going back to school. For us as candidates we were worried because this being our final year, we need to be in school and close to our teachers. I also wish the floods will come to an end so that every student can go to school,” she said.
Edwin Martins, manager Bungoma line shuttles said the shortage of vehicles being experienced was due to the ongoing inspections done by National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) together with traffic police to ensure all vehicles are in good condition.
“Today we are experiencing a low number of vehicles compared to the customers. I want to comment on the NTSA for the good work they are doing because this guarantees our students of their safety as they travel back to school,” he said.
The government had postponed the opening of schools for the second term due to the ongoing rains and floods that have affected most parts of the country. A total number of 44 schools from different counties have not opened due to flood related challenges.
The government has urged the parents to keep their children safe while going to and from school. The ongoing rains have led to the loss of 277 lives and leaving 411,825 people fighting the negative effects of the floods.