At this Isinya school, over 500 pupils and teachers share a toilet

A toilet standing next to an open stream in Homa Bay County on May 14, 2016. A school in Isinya has a single toilet that is shared by pupils and teachers. PHOTO | TOM OTIENO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • The Nation learnt that part of the land meant for expansion of the institution was sold by officials of the then Olkejuado County Council.
  • The teacher said the toilet is used by all pupils but teachers usually instruct boys to relieve themselves in the nearby field.

With more than 500 pupils and teachers sharing one toilet, the question is not if but when Isinya Township Primary School will be closed down.

The school sits on just a quarter an acre piece of land and learners share tiny classrooms partitioned with cardboards.

A teacher who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of victimisation by education officials told the Nation that the situation was bad but the school community did not have an alternative.

However, the Nation learnt that part of the land meant for expansion of the institution was sold by officials of the then Olkejuado County Council.

When the Nation visited the school, teachers sat outside the staffroom marking examinations papers. Near the staffroom is the ‘mabati’ toilet.

The teacher said the toilet is used by all pupils but teachers usually instruct boys to relieve themselves in the nearby field.

“If a teacher wants to use the toilet, he or she must wait until learners are in class,” he said.

The teachers say the hygienic situation at the school was a time bomb for cholera, typhoid and other diseases.

The size of the school raises questions as to why it is still running. 

The school is on a 50x100-metre plot, barely enough for the classrooms. 

It also means the pupils lack a playground.

NO EXPANSION SPACE
Asked why the school had not organised a fundraiser for construction of classrooms, extra toilets and other amenities, the institution’s head Geoffrey Munga said doing so would be illegal.

Worse still, almost all the children came from very poor families, he added.

“Many parents work on flower farms as casuals. They can barely afford a decent meal, let alone making contributions to the Parents Teachers Association,” the headteacher added.

He said the only contribution every parent makes is Sh100 for paying teachers employed by the school.

Contacted, Isinya Education Officer Elizabeth Otieno said her department was aware of the challenges facing the school.

“I have visited the school several times after receiving numerous complaints,” she said.

“All I can say is that discussions about its fate have begun and they involve local MP Peris Tobiko and ward representative David Nkirimpai.”

The Nation learnt that the land next to the school belonged to Olkejuado County Council but most of it was sold to individuals, leaving the institution with no room for expansion.

Other people owning huge tracts around are not willing to donate land to the school.

They have demanded hefty compensation as the land and property in the town is prime.