A block of three classes in an Ol Kalou school is a deathtrap and a catastrophe in waiting barely three years after it was built using Sh2 million NG-CDF cash.
Parents of Kaimbaga Primary School want the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, the Directorate of Public Prosecutions and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate the project.
The building's walls and foundation have cracks — some so wide that one can see what goes on in the classrooms from the outside. The lives of 55 pupils in Grade 1, 2 and 3 are in danger. The Public Health department has also been urged to intervene.
Deputy headteacher David Kihara said the classes were built in 2016 and commissioned in January 2017. He said they had appealed to the NG-CDF office to fix the mess. Nothing has been done thus far.
School management committee chairman Peter Kamau said the NG-CDF officials awarded themselves the contract after declining to approve two contractors who were recommended by the community. The claim was, however, dismissed by NG-CDF chairman Nduati Kariuki. He said the school management committee and the then-headteacher awarded the contract to Muchina Nyaga after they sourced for a contractor 'without success'.
Nyaga was the contractor, while Steve Muriithi was the project manager. Muriithi was also the supervisor and project engineer. Kamau said this was a blatant violation of the law and constituted a conflict of interest.
"As a chairman of this school, I would not accept a contract to make desks even if I was a carpenter. In the same way, the CDF officials should not have awarded themselves the contract," he said.
The situation is scary during downpours. Kamau said it is not a matter of if but rather when the building will collapse. The pressure being exerted on the walls is so intense that the window panes have broken. The roofs are damaged and the doors can no longer be closed.
Parents say Ol Kalou MP David Kiaraho is not to blame. His efforts and goodwill to ensure the school, which was built in the 1960s, get modern classes were abused by the officials he trusted, they say. They, however, want the lawmaker to go and see for himself what awaits their children because “we would hate to see him rush here after a disaster has struck.”
Engineer Wilson Kigwa, a resident and old boy of the school, said it is shameful to see a class built less than three years ago develop cracks while most of the other classes, which were built in 1968, are still intact.
"We would want justice and proper restitution accorded to the people of Kaimbaga. We would also want to know the kind of audit conducted by the office of the Auditor-General on such public projects to ensure value for money," he said.
Isaac Gatheca, a board member, shared similar sentiments and added that the NG-CDF officials are responsible for the poor workmanship and should be compelled to do it afresh.
“If anything happens, our future, which is our children, will have casualties," he said.
When the Star prodded NG-CDF chairman Kariuki into giving more information, he said the questions were being directed to the wrong person.
For his part, contractor Nyaga said he is ready to be investigated. He, however, declined to confirm or deny whether he built the classes. He could not also confirm whether the project was supervised by qualified personnel and how much it cost.
"It is not a big deal. If the investigations are conducted, it is incumbent upon the investigators to reveal the required information," Nyaga dismissively told the Star on the phone.
Project manager Muriithi declined to respond when the Star sought his comments. He did not return calls or respond to a text message.
(Edited by F'Orieny)
