- Title: KENYA: Kenyan children return to school amid fears for their safety
- Date: 14th January 2008
- Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (English) PARENT, BAHATON MASAI, SAYING: "On Wednesday. We shall see what is going to happen tomorrow at the parliament, we'll see what is going to happen and to decide whether to bring back the kids back to school on Wednesday or not. Because we do not know about the security on Wednesday."
- Embargoed: 29th January 2008 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Kenya
- Country: Kenya
- Topics: Education
- Reuters ID: LVA2AWMHIW3RODIIE7SWKMG5SSTB
- Story Text: Some schools in the Kenyan capital Nairobi re-open despite concerns of post-election violence flaring-up again in the wake of mid-week opposition protests.
Some Kenyan schools re-opened on Monday (January 14) amid post election uncertainty looming over the east African nation.
Violence which broke out after contested presidential elections on December 27 had prevented students from resuming the scheduled start of term during the first week of January.
Jennifer Wambui, who was taking her sister to Moi Avenue Primary School in Nairobi on Monday, was worried about the safety of her sibling. "We are afraid of the post election violence, that's why we are scared but we hope she will be safe," she said.
Many parents are concerned about sending their children back to school after Kenya's opposition called for renewed protests on Wednesday (January 16) against President Mwai Kibaki's disputed second term in office.
One parent, Bahaton Masai said: "We shall see what is going to happen tomorrow at the parliament, we'll see what is going to happen and to decide whether to bring back the kids back to school on Wednesday or not.
Because we do not know about the security on Wednesday."
About 612 people have died in post election violence since the December 27 poll.
Most of the deaths have come from fighting between rival ethnic communities, clashes between police and protesters, looting and mob violence, witnesses say.
Kibaki has entrenched his position by naming half a cabinet, convening parliament and continuing with state functions.
But the opposition has more seats in the new assembly. Parliament holds its opening session on Tuesday (January 15).
Despite the tension in the country many pupils were eager to go back to school.
Issac Biyose, a sixth grade student in the Moi Avenue Primary School, said he and his school mates were glad to be returning to school "because we have been at home doing no activities. We learn by ourselves and also we have missed our teachers. We are not scared because it's our right to go to school,"
School teachers were prepared to deal with school children traumatised by the violence, some of it between different ethnic groups.
Eunice Mlati, head teacher at the Moi Avenue Primary School said: "Most of these children need to be counselled and we are ready. We are going to do that because we have counsellors in the school."
Mlati said it was a priority to stress that any ethnic differences between the children was of no consequence. "The first thing we want to put to the children is to make them feel that they are all the same and it doesn't matter which community they come from, they learn to live together and work together just like before. We shall try to assure them that nothing has changed," she said.
Former U.N. head Kofi Annan was due to fly into Kenya on Tuesday at the head of an "Eminent Africans" group to try and help kickstart dialogue between Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga, who have not met since the vote. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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