By Frank Kamuntu
The scheduled reopening of schools in Kenya for next week has been postponed till further notice by President William Ruto due to the ongoing torrential rains and flooding that have claimed over 200 lives.
In his State of the Nation speech, the president mentioned the likelihood that Cyclone Hidaya may impact coastal Kenya in the coming days, saying that “meteorological reports paint a dire picture.”
Flooding has devastated Kenya and other East African countries, forcing over 150,000 displaced people to live in camps around the nation.
The education ministry moved back the scheduled reopening of schools by one week.
Students will now wait for the announcement of new reopening dates as some schools remain flooded and others have been damaged.
Some displaced people have been living in schools while the government prepares to relocate them to camps.
The government has ordered people living near 178 dams and reservoirs that are either full or nearly full to evacuate or be forcefully moved.
Water levels at two major hydroelectric dams have reached historic highs and the government has warned those living downstream along the Tana River.
On the river that empties into the Indian Ocean last week, a boat overturned, leaving seven passengers dead and thirteen more unaccounted for.
Last month, another passenger bus washed down a bridge across the same river.
It has been said that the government’s response to the floods was insufficient.
More than 155 people have died as a result of the flooding in neighboring Tanzania, where Cyclone Hidaya is predicted to affect coastal districts.
Additionally, hundreds of people in Ethiopia, Somalia, and Burundi have been impacted.
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