Nyong’o: It is just a proposal to relocate Kisumu Boys and Girls schools

 

Kisumu Governor Prof Anyang Nyong'o at his office in Kisumu. He has said the plans to relocate both Kisumu Boys and Girls schools are mere proposal which still needs public participation process-File Photo

By Dickson Odhiambo

May 9, 2022

Nyong’o: It is just a proposal to relocate Kisumu Boys and Girls schools

Kisumu Governor Prof Peter Anyang Nyong’o has said that it is just a mere proposal to relocate both Kisumu Boys and Girls schools away from the Kisumu’s Central Business District for the expansion of the City.

Governor says there will be a process of public participation before such a move is undertaken.

Through a press statement to newsrooms today, the Kisumu Governor says the debate on whether or not to relocate the schools is an important conversation that must not be trivialized or wished away.

 

The Kisumu Governor some people did not get the gist of his statement he made while in Nairobi and have been recklessly misrepresenting the facts with a lot of negative energy.

 

“The said relocation of Kisumu Boys and Kisumu Girls High schools has been raised in many professional forums, the latest being in a report on the “Transforming Kisumu City through enhanced urban aesthetics,” he says.

 

Nyong’o says the on-going transformation of Kisumu city in line with the geophysical and spatial plan should be supported.

 

He says this is because it is aimed at revamping the city’s infrastructure, the economy, waste management system and provision of adequate housing for residents.

 

“In the proposed plans, we are envisaging an integrated, resilient and sustainable urban life. Indeed, the central theme of 9th Africities Summit to be held in Kisumu County next week is the role of intermediary African cities in the implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda and the African Union Agenda 2063,” Nyong’o says.

 

He adds that these populations will need food, shelter, security, healthy environments to live in, an efficient transportation system, reliable, cost-effective and clean energy, social amenities and employment opportunities.

 

“This is why we must honestly debate whether we need to have highly populated schools at the center of cities where they occupy large tracts of land, large parts of which remain unused. The 9th Africities Summit reflects the shift in Africa to devolve services and developmental focus away from capital cities,” he further says.

 

Nyong’o says it is wrong to misinterpret his comments to insinuate that learning institutions are less important in the society, adding that as a scholar and public administrator he knows the value of education.

“Schools need calm and friendly environment far from the noise in the cities. I support the idea of schools sharing facilities to save on land use. Each school has a field, a swimming pool and other amenities that have occupied land. Why don’t we take them to an area where schools share these amenities? We don’t need to have a field for each school in a town. We need a cost-effective use of land. This should be a subject for debate,” he adds.

 

Nyong’o has appealed to parents, leaders and urban planners to discuss this issue soberly and constructively because an idea whose time has come is being killed simply because of politics.

 

“Indeed, the planning and consultations on whether or not to relocate some of these schools are expected to continue until 2030. This means there is still enough time to make right decisions,” Nyong’o further adds.

 

Kisumu Governor has become under heavy criticism from various stakeholders after a report appeared in a section of the media last week that he said both Kisumu Boys and Kisumu Girls must be relocated away from the City center.

 

A section of stakeholders including alumni of Kisumu Boys and Kisumu Girls have vehemently opposing the relocation of two schools arguing that they are part and parcel of Kisumu City’s heritage hence forms part of the Lake side city’s history.

 

Some of the stakeholders have wondered whether there have been complaints from current and former students about the noise pollution affecting them during their learning activities.