Juja: Residents of the hyena-infested Dekoma area in Juja, Kiambu County, have a reason to smile after the construction of a modern primary school, ending years of dangerous and long walks to schools far away.
According to Kenya News Agency, the school, constructed through the NG/CDF, has brought relief to parents whose children used to brave stretches of bushland where hyenas are known to roam, journeys which have been risky. During the rainy season, the routes became treacherous, often forcing many pupils to miss classes entirely.
Speaking during the opening of the school, Juja MP George Koimburi said that the daily ordeal for parents and children is now over, adding that the new school would bring education closer as well as assure the safety of the children. Koimburi, who spoke after making his first public appearance since being discharged from Nairobi Hospital a month ago following his abduction drama, pledged to continue expanding learning facilities in the area. "Every child deserves to be in class, not risking their life on the way to school. We will keep building more classrooms until no child is left behind," Koimburi said.
The MP at the same time issued a stern warning to land grabbers whom he alleged had illegally taken portions of the school's land, which had derailed its construction. "This area had been grabbed and we were forced to engage in a court process. Luckily, we won and began the construction of the school. The risks of hyena attacks on children going to school would not have happened since we would have constructed the school several years ago. Going forward, the fencing of the school compound will commence immediately to secure it and ward off grabbers," Koimburi said.
His sentiments were echoed by Juja Deputy County Commissioner Daniel Ndege, who issued a two-week ultimatum to those holding illegal title deeds for public land to surrender them or risk legal consequences. The locals, led by Yasmin Isaac and Grace Wacuka, expressed their relief to the new school, saying at least the safety of their children will be guaranteed. They, however, decried inadequate teachers at the school and called on the government to post more teachers so as to uplift the standards of education in the area. They said the new facility marks a turning point for Dekoma, replacing years of danger and hardship with renewed hope for the community's youngest learners.