As plans are underway to reopen schools, maintaining social distancing is a nightmare for congested Mwiki Primary School in Githurai, Ruiru subcounty in Kiambu.
The school on less than an acre has 3,600 pupil, 27 teachers, four deputy head teachers and the head teacher..
An influx of new learners is expected from private schools.
Head teacher Joseph Kamau calls it the most congested primary school in Kenya.
Mwiki's situation, if not so extreme, is shared by many other schools.
Kamau told journalists at the school on Monday that despite the many learners, the school has only 41 classrooms and 1,077 crude desks that are shared.
The Education ministry says each classroom should have no more than 20 pupils to maintain social distancing of at least 1.5 metres a metre between desks. That means the school will require an additional 140 classrooms.
The institution is so overstretched that a single classroom accommodates 130 learners.
“And if it’s 15 learners to a classroom, then the school will need 200 more classrooms to comfortably accommodate them," Kamau said..
"But this is impossible since we don't have land to build more than 100 classrooms," the head teacher said.
The school has 649 candidates expected to sit their KCPE exams once schools reopen.
The population is so large that during parades and events, teachers address pupils using a public address system.
Kamau said the area has 37 primary schools and many will close because of Covid-19, sending pupils to Mwiki , as there's no other primary school nearby.
“Actually, some have already closed and moved their furnishings and equipment. Some operators are my friends who had rented buildings and now must shut down their business."
Only about 14 can stay in business because they own their land, he said.
"We expect most of their learners in our school as there's no other public primary school nearby," he said.
The head teacher said the Ministry of Education will have to purchase property to relocate the school and expand it.
He said the ministry directed the board of management to find a suitable piece of land. They found 9.5 acres just a few metres from the school.
The land can comfortably accommodate more than 4,000 learners and the school awaits approval from the Ministry of Education.
In June last year, MP Simon King’ara announced the government had set aside Sh10 million to build a new primary school at Manguo to decongest Mwiki Primary School. A year later, construction has yet to begin.
Meanwhile, the school head said measures have been put in place to help combat Covid-19 once school reopens. It has already sunk another borehole that will provide sufficient water for sanitation.
The school bought 70 hand washing units for each classroom. The school constructed 28 more latrines; it previously had 22 latrines.
Parents who spoke to journalists called on the Ministry of Education not to open schools soon, saying allowing learners back to schools like Mwiki will be courting trouble.
No date has been set. On Monday President Uhuru Kenyatta said schools would remain shut until adequate safety measures are in place.
Parent Mercy Wanjiku said children will not be able to maintain social distance or wear masks at all times. "The school is too congested and allowing children back will spread the virus," she said.
(Edited by V. Graham)