By Denvis Mwazighe

Education News published a story in early July 2021 claiming that gains made in education in the Northeastern region could be eroded due to ongoing drought. The story stated that the sub-counties of Mbalambala and Modogashe in Garissa county were among the most impacted. 

The article notes that some pupils had failed to report to school due to migration to other regions searching for water and pasture. Notably, most inhabitants of this region lead a nomadic lifestyle. 

Mwanedu FM has looked into the claim and determined that the region is affected by drought, which to some extent is taking a toll on education.  

In June 2021, a report issued by Kenya Meteorological Department stated that the region is experiencing a new wave of drought, and therefore partly going in line with the claim by Education News.

The drought has spread into September, with a story by Nation indicating that the situation has led to hundreds of thousands of learners staying away from school.

Besides drought, the northeastern region has been hit by the terrorism scourge, mainly from the Al Shabaab terror group. The threat of terror is among the perennial factors that have affected education in the region. 

At some point, teachers were pulled out from the region following repeated attacks from the Al-Shabaab militants. A report by the Crisis Group notes that the education crisis adds to an already existing sense of marginalisation in the region.

We, therefore, conclude that the claim by Education News that education in the northeastern region is affected by drought is partly true. 

Image: Students at Muslim school in Garissa. Source: Educationnews.co.ke

This story was produced by Mwanedu FM in partnership with Code for Africa, Kenya Community Media Network (KCOMNET) and the Catholic Media Council with support from the German Cooperation as a part of the Our County Our Responsibility project.