Campaign for Mandatory School Fire Insurance Gains Traction
Residents and leaders from Imenti South constituency in Meru County are advocating for mandatory school fire insurance for all schools within their constituency. They argue that frequent fires have resulted in significant losses in educational institutions, leading to the need for fundraising efforts for reconstruction, which they find disruptive.
Mary Mwangi, the Deputy County Commissioner of Imenti South, revealed that four schools have been affected by fires since last year. The most recent incident occurred at Mutungulu Day and Boarding Secondary School, where the principal, who had struggled with diabetes for a long time, passed away due to shock upon receiving the news about his school.
The residents and leaders propose that school heads discuss the idea with their school’s Board of Management and take responsibility for obtaining fire insurance coverage for their schools.
They argue that the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NGCDF) should be utilized to secure schools, similar to how one would secure their vehicle or other properties, as too many government resources have been wasted due to fires.
Shadrack Mwiti, the MP for Imenti South, emphasized that the situation has forced them to seek help from well-wishers and other donors to support schools. These statements were made during the disbursement of bursary funds worth 36 million to needy students in South Imenti constituency offices at Kanyakine.
The residents and leaders believe that mandatory school fire insurance would help mitigate the financial burden caused by frequent fires in educational institutions. They argue that such insurance would provide a safety net for schools, ensuring that they can quickly recover from fire-related losses without resorting to fundraising efforts that disrupt the educational process.
They further emphasize that securing fire insurance should be a priority for schools, and school heads should take the initiative to discuss and implement this with their respective school’s Board of Management.
They also emphasize the role of NGCDF in securing schools from fire risks, suggesting that it should be utilized to provide fire insurance coverage for schools in the same way as other properties.
Campaign for Mandatory School Fire Insurance Gains Traction