@Yobramos4
Learners in a private school in Tudor, Mombasa, are up in arms over a stinking garbage collection right behind their institution.
The collection point has disrupted learning at Busy Bee Primary School that has been performing well in the KCPE exam. Worshippers at Fellowship Baptist Church adjacent to the school are also disturbed by the stench.
The foul smell emanating from the garbage collection point makes learners sick, with some missing school because of it.
Dorothy Kaimure, the Busy Bee head teacher, said they have raised the matter with the county government.
“The garbage collection point was initially not behind the school. I don’t know why they brought it right behind the school and church. Since then, we have been having problems,” Kaimure said.
The foul smell is so strong that it makes the learners puke or have stomachache.
“Sometimes they even become sick and do not come to school,” she said.
The administration has written to the county government’s Department of Environment and the deputy governor’s office.
The Busy Bee head teacher said once they write to the county, officers are sent to address the matter.
“They tell us they are thinking of where to put the collection point and that they will soon do away with the garbage there. And that is where it ends,” Kaimure said.
The Basic Education Act does not allow such garbage to be near a school because it is a health hazard to both the learners and the school staff.
“We plead with them to remove the garbage because we voted them in so they can take care of the children, teacher and parent,” the head teacher said.
Parents are affected because they have to take their sick children to hospital, which is an unnecessary added cost to them.
“We are sad they have not heard our cry to have the garbage removed from right behind our school to another place where there are no school children or any other children nearby,” Kaimure said said.
Anthony Mwakio, a learner, said they cannot concentrate in class because of the stench.
“We would be learning then all of a sudden the smell comes. The learners complain it affects them. Even some of the learners feel like puking,” Mwakio said.
They rush out to the toilets to puke while others continue learning.
“We can’t concentrate in class. All we think about is the smell,” he said. "Some cannot stand the smell, so they have to look for a sweater or something to cover their noses.”
He called on the county government to act fast and remove all the garbage behind the school compound.
Leila Mohamed, the president of Busy Bee school, said she has been affected by the foul smell.
She called on the authorities to remove the garbage.
Fellowship Baptist Church pastor Tim Thairu said although the county has done something about the garbage before, it is slowly coming back to haunt them.
“Initially, it was worse,” Pastor Thairu said. "This is a place of worship and it does not deserve to have this kind of foul smell."
Tudor MCA Samir Bhaloo said his office received complaints about the garbage from Kaimure and visited the scene.
He contacted deputy governor Francis Thoya, who also visited the area and committed to remove the garbage collection point within a week.
“It is a health risk to our learners and we are working with the deputy governor to ensure we solve it,” Bhaloo said.
He said the county has been tackling the problem for quite some time, echoing Pastor Thairu that the garbage situation had been worse earlier.
“All the garbage from Tudor was being dumped at Manyimbo. But through our efforts we managed to solve that problem and even fenced the Manyimbo cemetery,” the MCA said.
The cemetery had been covered by the garbage. “This matter left is smaller than the one we solved. We will solve it within a week,” Bhaloo said.
He said the deputy governor is passionate about the environment and will not allow the health hazard to affect learners any more.
Bhaloo said if the county government would not have acted within a week, he would take the matter himself and ensure it is done.