On January 4, 2021, millions of Kenyan pupils returned to classrooms for the first time since March 2020, when COVID-19 forced school closures.
Students, repeating their lost academic year, underwent temperature checks and wore masks, though parents like Hildah Musimbi expressed mixed feelings. “I’m pleased they’re back, but I fear the virus among students, teachers, or staff,” she said.
Challenges in Compliance
Teachers enforced mask-wearing, turning back non-compliant students, but struggled to maintain social distancing in crowded classrooms. Mvurya Mumbai, headteacher at Voi Primary School, noted, “We lack enough desks to keep children one meter apart, but we’re doing our best.”
A partial reopening in October 2020 led to a COVID-19 spike, with pupils, teachers, and at least one principal affected, per web reports from Reuters.
Education Minister’s Assurance
Education Minister George Magoha, visiting Olympic Primary School in Nairobi’s Kibera slum, praised the high turnout and safety measures.
“Parents must ensure children wear masks,” he urged, noting the school’s 4,700 students. Magoha emphasized that adequate protocols, like handwashing stations and temperature checks, justified full reopening, dismissing reasons for keeping children home.
COVID-19 Context
Kenya recorded nearly 97,000 cases and over 1,600 deaths by January 2021, with a positivity rate dropping from 20% in October to below 5%, per WHO data.
President Uhuru Kenyatta extended a 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. curfew until March 12, 2021, adjusting from stricter hours imposed since March 2020. The curfew, relaxed to 11 p.m. in September, reverted to 10 p.m. in November amid rising cases.
Broader Implications
The reopening, covering primary, high schools, and staggered tertiary institutions from January 9, aimed to restore education disrupted by the pandemic.
However, challenges like overcrowded classrooms and uneven vaccine access—Kenya began vaccinations in March 2021—persisted, per Al Jazeera. The move reflected regional trends, as Ghana also reopened schools on January 15, 2021, balancing education with health risks.
