Kenya: Primary and Secondary schools to get 360000 desks and 263157 lockers, chairs

Kenya's Ministry of Education has decided to provide 360,000 desks at a cost of Sh900 million to 5,254 secondary schools and 5,136 primary schools will get 263,157 lockers and chairs at Sh1 billion, according to a news report by The Standard.

The tendering process for the Sh1.9 billion project dimmed hopes of immediate delivery of the 622,000-odd pieces of furniture to schools, as the October 19 deadline approaches.

Each of the selected primary schools will receive 70 desks as secondary schools get 50.

With projections that the rest of the learner's classes One to Three, standards Five to Seven, and forms One to Three will be recalled to class by October 26, it is highly unlikely the delivery target would be met.

Weeks after President Uhuru Kenyatta launched the project in Nairobi, no work has been done to assemble the desks, lockers, and chairs had officially started.

Even with the tours by Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha to monitor various workshops, it emerged that official work may start next week as the tendering process was concluded on October 12.

"We have been issuing the award letters for the last two days and perhaps the actual work may start Monday. This means that in about two weeks, some work will have been done," said a senior Ministry of Education official.