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Transport and security hitches were some of the challenges witnessed as schools re-opened across the country yesterday for First Term after the long December holidays.

A spot check by People Daily showed that Matatu operators plying long distant routes were taking advantage of the large number of travellers eager to reach their destinations by hiking fares.

Hundreds of commuters were yesterday stranded in various towns as matatu operators enjoyed brisk business. 

The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has several times warned operators who raise fares arbitrarily that they risk losing their licences but the directive has gone unheeded.

For instance, commuters going to Nairobi from Nakuru had to pay Sh700 after fares were raised from Sh350.

“It is very unfair to raise fare like this…,” said Peter Karanja, who was heading to Thika.

 In Lamu, five schools that had been closed down because of threats posed by al Shabaab terror group failed to reopen despite recent assurances by government representatives.

Basuba, Milimani, Mararani, Mangai and Kiangwe primary schools have remained closed since 2014 when armed militants raided Mpeketoni. At least 60 lost their lives during the attack. However, Lamu County Commissioner Irungu Macharia told People Daily yesterday that the affected schools will be reopened before the end of the week.

Low turnout was also witnessed in Nyando Sub-county owing to recent floods.  For instance at Nyamasao Primary School, only 90 out of 434 pupils reported at school yesterday.

Meanwhile, primary school head teachers in Kisumu have remained upbeat that the rollout of Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) in Grade Four will be a success.

Start lessons

At the same time, in Nairobi’s Olympic Primary School, hundreds of pupils turned up waiting to start their lessons.

There was a beehive of activity in book and uniform selling points across Nairobi even as parents complained of high prices of commodities with most saying they could not afford some of the required commodities. –Reporting by Noah Cheploen, Roy Lumbe,  Noven Awiti, Viola Kosome, Reuben Mwambingu, Felix Yegon and Alvin Mwangi