Deep in the dry and dusty villages of Mtito Andei ward in Kibwezi subcounty, Makueni, stands Nzoila Primary School.
The classrooms are dilapidated.
Some have been recently renovated while others can hardly withstand the mid-morning wind.
Three of the classrooms were blown off and have been rendered unfit for use.
A section of pupils are in the field planting trees alongside the playground.
The school has a population of 307 pupils.
The pupils mostly from pre-primary classes burst into song as they celebrated President Uhuru Kenyatta's 60th birthday on Tuesday.
Nancy Muli, the head teacher, said they decided to plant 60 trees to celebrate the President's birthday.
“The pupils were holding placards requesting well wishers to help build new classrooms because they have been studying under trees since their classrooms were blown away,” Muli said.
She appealed to the President to reciprocate the pupils’ love by helping them rebuild and give the school a new face.
“We need at least four new classrooms. Two for the pre-primary and two for other grades,” Muli said.
She said some 63 pupils in PP1 and PP2 lacked classrooms.
The school administration has been forced to combine some of the two-streamed classes for lack of extra classrooms.
Muli said besides the renovation of a section of classrooms, the school had been gifted two classrooms from the Kibwezi East Constituency Development Fund.
“The two classrooms from CDF are just a drop in the ocean since nearly all our classrooms need to be renovated. They are in a very bad condition,” she said.
To mitigate the fast increasing effects of drought, they also requested a solar panel and pump for their borehole to help them plant fruits and more trees.
Environmentalist Mbatha Kyee who donated the trees said the current situation needs to be addressed, urging well-wishers to donate building material for the classes.
“It is risky for pupils to use such classrooms. Something should be done to salvage the situation,” the school alumni alias Captain Green said.
Kyee has been leading a series of tree planting exercises in education and government institutions in a drive aimed at increasing forest cover in the institutions.
He said planting more trees in schools will help break down the disastrous wind that has damaged classrooms.
Edited by Kiilu Damaris