Learning was interrupted on Friday in Murang’a following heavy rains that made some schools inaccessible.
Two families neighbouring Thangathi Primary School said Sagana River burst its banks, causing heavy floods.
Teachers and pupils who live across the river were unable to go to school because the canoe they use to cross had been washed away by the floods.
A makeshift bridge could not be used because it was too slippery. Murang’a county has been experiencing heavy rains. The school’s head teacher, Evans Thuku, said some teachers and pupils had to walk more than 14 kilometres using the Kambirwa Mukuyu Sagana route to get to school.
“I warned teachers and pupils against using the makeshift bridge,” Thuku said.
Murang’a East deputy county commissioner Kepha Marube said the bridge is unsafe for use. He said the government will send experts to assess it and make necessary recommendations.
Meanwhile, he urged residents to be wary of the swollen rivers and keep children from getting near them.
“We must all take precautions to save lives now that the rains are here,” Marube said. Roads leading to Thangathi village are a nightmare, following sand harvesting on roadsides, posing further risks to motorists.
In the meantime, two families have been relocated from their homes in Gitugi village, Mathioya subcounty, after huge cracks formed near their homes.
Area deputy county commissioner Charles Laboso said the two families are now at the Gitugi shopping centre. He said Mathioya is prone to landslides and urged residents to be vigilant and notify authorities if they spot cracks or fault lines in their farms.
“We have not yet experienced any land or mud slides, but we had to move the two families until the rains subside,” the state official said.
