By Rogers Wanambwa 

KIU, Main Campus – The Ministry of Health will not do mandatory COVID-19 testing on students when they finally return to school later this month, according to information from the Ministry of Education.

 Schools are set to reopen on September 20 starting with the candidate classes and medical finalists at the university level. 

And the Ministry of Health has announced that they will not be carrying out mandatory testing on all the students citing the fact that they know where the disease is in the country, according to Dr Charles Olaro, the Director of Clinical Services at the ministry.

The director said that testing on both teachers and students will only be done when an alert about a positive case is made.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary, Dr Diana Atwine, said that they are vigorously working together with the Ministry of Education to see to it that all students are safe as school resumes. 

“The Ministry of Education is working towards opening schools and we are working with them to make sure all learners are safe. Since the opening will be for finalists, we believe that it’s possible to safeguard all learners if SOPs are followed,” the Permanent Secretary stated. 

Furthermore, the school reopening strategy by the Education ministry stipulates that both government primary and secondary schools are to receive a minimum of six-foot and hand-operated washing facilities, two temperature guns, one plastic spray pump and 20 litres of Jik disinfectant. 

All students are also expected to wear a face mask at all times while on school campuses.  The government last week came out and announced that all individuals who intend to do voluntary COVID-19 testing will be charged 240,500 shillings.