The Lower Eastern Times Opening The Third Eye
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Heavy rains affecting several parts of the country, including Nairobi, have triggered flooding in some areas, interrupting normal activities such as school learning.
The situation was evident at Ainsworth School in Eastleigh, where classes were suspended on Friday after floodwaters covered large parts of the school compound, including sections of classrooms and the administration block.
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“We have suspended learning today because the classrooms are inaccessible. The water level is up to the knees, so it is not safe for students to be in school,” head teacher Francis Mwangi said in a phone interview.
Photos taken at the institution, which offers both primary and junior secondary education, showed students, teachers, and parents who had brought their children to school gathered on a raised section of the compound that remained above the floodwaters.
When asked whether classes would resume on Monday, Mwangi said it was uncertain.
“That is difficult to predict. The skies still look like they could bring more rain, so we cannot guarantee that learning will resume by then,” he said.
Mwangi explained that flooding at the school is a recurring problem that has affected the institution for years, adding that similar challenges are faced by other schools in the city.
“This is not a new problem for us. It has been happening for years. Last year the rains were not as heavy, but in 2024 we experienced a similar situation and had to close the school several times because of flooding,” he said.
In its weather update on Thursday evening, the Kenya Meteorological Department said scattered showers and thunderstorms were expected in several regions, including Western Kenya, the Lake Victoria Basin, the Rift Valley, and the Central Highlands, which include Nairobi.
The department also noted that the Southeastern Lowlands, as well as parts of the Northwestern and Northeastern regions, were likely to experience similar weather conditions during the night, Friday morning, and the afternoon.
Earlier on Wednesday, acting Director of the Kenya Meteorological Department Edward Muriuki said the ongoing rains are expected to briefly ease after next week due to changes in a tropical weather pattern known as the Madden–Julian Oscillation (MJO).
“Rainfall is likely to intensify across much of the country during the first half of March. However, drier conditions are expected in the second half of the month when the Madden–Julian Oscillation enters phases that suppress rainfall over Kenya,” Muriuki said.
He added that the rains are expected to return toward the end of March, with the peak of the long rains season anticipated in April.
