The national government has committed to enforcing the Kenya Transport Policy to ensure footbridges are built near schools located near major roads.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba has said this is to ensure learners access their learning institutions safely, without putting their lives at risk.
The policy, primarily driven by Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA), prioritises building and maintaining footbridges near schools and busy areas for pedestrian safety, focusing on infrastructure like zebra crossings and clear signage.
Ogamba said his ministry will partner with other government departments to ensure the footbridges are constructed and well-maintained.
“There are a number of schools located across major roads and highways. This policy ensures footbridges are availed for the safety of the children,” he said.
Ogamba spoke at Kimorori Primary School while on a tour of Murang’a County to monitor the admission of Grade 10 learners to senior secondary schools.
The primary school, off the Kenol-Marua dual carriageway, has had challenges with pupils being struck by vehicles as they cross the highway.
In recent years, parents have had to take turns to hold sign postings urging motorists to slow down and allow the children to cross the road.
“One parent does that in the morning and another one in the evening when children are leaving the school for their homes,” area MP Mary Waithira told the CS.
The MP has made numerous appeals to KeNHA to have a footbridge erected near the school to no avail.
She however noted that other footbridges have been erected on the 84-kilometre-long dual carriageway that starts at Kenol and ends at Marua junction in Nyeri county.
“This is a matter of urgency. We need a safe way for these children to get to their school without putting their lives in danger,” she said.
She said the situation is aggravated by the fact that the road has a sloppy terrain just after the dual carriage starts, prompting motorists to speed.
The few bumps installed on the road do very little to reduce the speed, making it dangerous for children to cross the road without an overpass.
The CS however assured the MP that his ministry would take on the matter and push for the footbridges to be set up.
Last year, KeNHA took steps to improve pedestrian safety along the Kampi ya Moto – Ravine – Kamwosor road in Rift Valley by clearly marking school crosswalks and erecting ‘Stop – Go’ signage to enhance visibility and safety for young pedestrians.
It also launched a country-wide operation to clear all footbridges and underpasses of hawkers and street families, and cleaning them.
The exercise was started off along the Ruiru -Thika section of the Thika Superhighway and was conducted in collaboration with the National Government Administrative Officers, County Governments, National Police Service, Axle Load Enforcement Unit and the KeNHA Corridor C team.
The authority also conducted targeted public awareness sessions, involving direct interaction with students and teachers, focusing on safe use of zebra crossings and best practices for navigating highways.
Similarly, Ogamba announced that the ministry is working with the Lands ministry to ensure all learning institutions have title deeds to shield them from land grabbing and encroachment.
In 2023, the Lands department formed a technical committee comprising of officers from the Education, Treasury and Lands ministries and the counties to help fast-track the process of collecting data on all schools without the vital documents.
Ogamba also pledged to construct four classrooms at Kimorori Primary School to ease congestion in the institution that serves the rapidly growing Kenol town and a laboratory.
With over 2,000 learners, the comprehensive school has constrained facilities, leading to congestion.
MP Waithira had earlier said the constituency is largely semi-arid, resulting to high poverty levels that make it difficult for parents to make financial contributions to schools efficiently, and leads to high levels of drop-outs after secondary school.
by ALICE WAITHERA
