Private Schools Kenya: Private schools in Kenya are set to get bailout loans from the national government. This is after the Ministry of Education announced plans to start giving the troubled schools concessionary loans aimed at cushioning them against the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

According to Cabinet Secretary for Education Professor George Magoha, the schools will get up to Sh. 7 billion bailout loans. He however said that the concessionary loans would be available to private school owners who qualify for them, meaning that not all private schools will receive the money.

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Hundreds of employees working in private schools have been forced to take salary cuts, ordered to take unpaid leave or laid off. It is estimated that private schools directly employ about 300,000 people.

The Kenya Private Schools Association says most administrators of the schools cite lack of finances to keep the schools going due to the Covid-19 pandemic and are shutting down completely. “We have reports from about 109 schools across the country that will not be coming back to business. They have folded up to try something else because having no income for those many months is extremely difficult,” said the private schools Kenya chairman Peter Ndoro.

He said so far, close to 39,000 learners will have to look for alternative schools, and that 1,400 teachers and 1,100 support staff have been rendered jobless by the closures.

Kastemil School and Kindergarten in Kasarani, Nairobi, is among those that have decided to shut their doors.The management of the school, which has been in operation for more than 20 years, said they weighed their options and realised it was no longer viable to continue.“Covid-19 has greatly affected private schools. We had to close because it became obvious that we could not sustain operations for the coming months without students to pay fees,” said Jane Kamau, director of the school.