- The County Director of Education has assured education stakeholders from the flood-prone areas in Busia County that learning will go on as planned.
- Some schools are being used as temporary IDP camps for those displaced from their homes.
- The government will provide food items for learners as schools reopen for second term.
For over 60 years now, Budalang’i Constituency in Busia County has been known globally as a flood-prone-zone owing to the never-ending flooding menace that has displaced thousands of residents from their homes almost every year.
For instance, in May 2020, over 40,000 people were kicked out of their homes and forced to settle in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps spread across Bunyala Sub County.
The agony the flood victims endured is still fresh in their minds to date.
After three years of flooding relief, Budalang’i residents are at it again.
Scores of residents, especially those from Bunyala South which has been declared a flood prone-zone have been uprooted from their homes and forced to seek shelter from IDP camps that have been set up.
Apart from the destruction of their respective homes by the floodwaters, their farms under crops as well as the livestock that forms their key economic lifeline have also been affected by the flooding menace.
Learning Disrupted
Learning activities have not been spared either.
Among the learning institutions that have been badly affected by the floods include Musoma AC Primary School and St Mary’s ACK Secondary School which have been completely submerged by the raging floodwaters.
Accessing the two learning institutions has become a nightmare to the school population considering that the students and teachers have no alternative but to cross by boat to and fro school every day.
For continuity of the learning programmes, St Mary’s Musoma ACK Secondary School management board have temporarily relocated to the nearby Sango Teachers Training College until the situation normalizes.
Unless the authority finds a permanent solution to the flooding menace as a matter of urgency, the academic performance of the learning institutions in the area will be drastically affected.
This is also more likely to lead to mass transfer of the affected learners to other schools.
According to the 2023 KCSE analysed performance data availed to The Scholar Media by Busia County Director of Education Ekaale Ekalyo, Bunyala sub county schools, majorly those from the flood prone south, performed dismally as a result of the flooding that had interrupted learning activities.
However, the county director of education assured education stakeholders from the flood prone areas in Busia County that learning will go on as planned when schools reopen on Monday, May 13, 2024.
Drainage Solution
Initially, normal school calendar was to start on April 29, 2024 but it was postponed by President William Ruto following the effects of the continuous heavy rains and flooding across the country.
Some schools are being used as temporary IDP camps for those displaced from their homes.
Former Musoma AC Primary School board of management chairman Felix Chitoma, among other education stakeholders interviewed by The Scholar Media, underscored the need to dig out drainage canals around the affected learning institutions that would channel the flood waters into Lake Victoria and River Nzoia.
“The relevant authorities should move with speed and launch the construction of permanent dykes along the shores of Lake Victoria so as to stop the backflow of Lake Victoria waters that has rendered scores of the residents homeless,” said Chitoma.
Chitoma said the backflow has been caused by the rising water levels of Lake Victoria hence spilling its waters into the neighbouring areas considering that there are no embarkments along the Lake that would keep the flood waters at bay.
He further attributed the lake’s rising water levels to the flooding waters.
Plan for Learners
Bunyala Deputy County Commissioner Dr Paul Papa who is also the sub county Disaster Preparedness and Management Committee chairman, confirmed to The Scholar Media during an interview at the sub county headquarters that he has approved the construction of 30 boats that would be distributed among the schools in flood prone areas including Bunyala Central and South ahead of the opening day.
The disaster chairman emphasized that the two levels of governments are on high alert and that they have put in place effective measures aimed at addressing the flooding that has been caused by the ongoing heavy rains as well as the backflow of Lake Victoria waters.
“The government is liaising closely with various humanitarian organizations key among them the Kenya Red Cross Society to provide the flood victims with adequate relief foods and the tents among others,” said the deputy county commissioner.
He further assured the students and teachers from the affected learning institutions of their safety emphasizing that there was no cause for alarm considering that the boats to be provided would ferry them to their respective schools and back home daily.
He at the same time said the disaster preparedness and management committee members have embarked on marathon sensitization forums in collaboration with the local administration through public barazas and churches.
“I am urging the residents of Bunyala, especially those residing in the flood prone areas to relocate to higher grounds for safety purposes,” he urged as one of the measures to save residents from any calamity.
Feeding Programmes
Dr Papa has assured residents that the government will provide food items for learners as schools reopen for second term.
“We don’t want the students from the learning institutions affected by floods to waste their time going home for lunch and back. The government is set to introduce a school feeding programme in their respective schools,” said Dr Papa.
Besides learning activities,traders operating at Mau Mau trading center in Bunyala south have suffered severely considering that their business premises have been marooned and others swept away by the flood waters rendering the business hub inaccessible.
Several traders who spoke to The Scholar Media pointed an accusing finger at the County Government of Busia of failing to undertake the construction of drainage canals that would have helped drain the flood waters from the business area.
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“For the past two months, I have been selling my commodities along the road closer to my home because I am unable to access my stall at Mau Mau market that is completely submerged in the flood waters,’ said one businesswoman.
Another trader who identified himself as Joseph Wandera, a shop owner at the trading center, said he has been forced to transfer his shop items home where he has built a makeshift stall to sell his items.
“Owing to the flooding at Mau Mau trading center where my shop had been, I had no other alternative but to relocate to this place until the situation returns to normal,” he said.
