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Members of Parliament (MPs) now want the government to take over the procurement of food and water supplies in schools as part of the radical measures proposed to guarantee the safety of learners in schools.

The lawmakers also want relevant government agencies to make regular inspections of eateries and foodstuffs stocked by schools unlike in the present circumstances the role has been left to the prerogative of certain officers.

The MPs who adjourned the National Assembly yesterday to debate a special motion on the safety of learners in schools, made far reaching proposals including regular inspections to ascertain the quality of food and the establishment of fully equipped clinics to cater for sick learners and decongestion of the institutions.

The debate followed the closure of various learning institutions especially in Kakamega County due to the outbreak of unknown disease.

During the debate, the MPs for instance proposed that going forward, the governments takes over the role of procurement of food and water to schools, a role currently undertaken by the respective school administration.

The MPs also proposed that various health inspectorate departments should regularly conduct inspections of all food stuffs supplied to schools to ascertain whether they are fit for human consumption.

The MPs also want the government to address the issue of congestion in schools on grounds that the 100 percent transition had led to overcrowding in schools as they are forced to admit more than their capacity.

Well equipped clinics

Further, the legislators also want all schools to have a clinic that is well equipped with necessary equipment including a standby doctor and nurse that can attend to learners whenever they fall sick.

While contributing to the adjournment motion moved by Butere MP Tindi Mwale, the lawmakers accused the government of failing to take urgent measures to contain the spread of the “unknown” disease which has hit several schools in Kakamega county and which he warned could spread further if not contained.

Said Mwale: “Parents are going through a very sad ordeal in which they have lost their children yet the problem can be addressed. It is sad that the government and the Ministry of Health did not come out clearly to talk about these issues affecting students. We need the government to put in place measures to take care our students by even having clinics in schools.”

He added: “The Ministries of Education and Health need to take the issue of food taken by students very seriously. This is because as of now, it is very tricky and hard to ascertain what food is eaten in schools. We need to know how these foods are stored, transported in schools and kept.”

The debate came days after Butere Boys and Mukumu Girls’ High Schools, both in Kakamega county, were closed indefinitely following the outbreak of a deadly disease that has so far claimed the lives of three students and a dormitory matron.

Confirmed contamination

Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha Wafula confirmed that contamination of food and water led to the deaths.

Preliminary investigations from samples sent to the Kenya Medical Research Institute (Kemri) laboratory in Kisumu tested positive for bacterial infections linked to gastroenteritis (a bacterial infection that causes diarrhoea and vomiting).

And yesterday in parliament, Tinderet MP and Education committee chairperson Julius Melly said his team will summon both Education Cabinet secretary Ezekiel Machogu and Nakhumicha to appear before them to shed light on the current situation in schools.

Melly, who promised to ensure that his committee follows up the matter, told the government to urgently intervene and address the issue of congestion and food safety in schools.

School congestions

The Education committee chairperson also raised concerns over the population of students in schools saying the 100 percent transition had led to congestion in learning institutions to an extent of forcing them to convert laboratories, libraries and any other available space to dormitories.

He said: “We have asked the CSs for Education and Health to give us a detailed report on what is really happening in schools. We have also told them to ensure that all the eateries are being inspected so that we can know what kind of food is being eaten there.”

He wen on to state: “Most of these institutions are a ticking time bomb for our children. Right now a dormitory which is supposed to hold about 600 students is now holding 1,600 students. As members of the Committee on Education, we want the Ministry of Education to tell us how they intend to address this crisis.”

Shinyalu MP Fredrick Ikana whose constituency hosts Mukumu Girls while requesting the government to compensate the affected families, said there is need for the government to take control of schools to avoid such disasters from recurring. He asked the government to address issues such as the procurement of food, setting up of health facilities, as well as regular inspection of facilities in schools.

He said: “We should ensure that the lives of our little ones are safe, we need to ensure that we fix procurement issues because as of now we have gaps whenever schools are allowed to freely and randomly procure goods and services. Every school should be told to adhere to the safety standards especially on water and food.”