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Used for voting, left to rot: Border school collapses in Turkana
A classroom that collapsed on April 10, 2025 at Nataparkakono Primary School on the border of Loima and Turkana Central, which has been suffering from years of neglect.
During elections, Nataparkakono Primary School - on the border of Turkana Central and Loima constituencies in the North Rift - serves as a polling station.
But it is suffering from years of neglect, with several classrooms collapsing and pupils learning in unsafe, crumbling structures.
The school's infrastructure is in a deplorable state, with roofs that leak when it rains, cracked walls and floors, and dangerously dilapidated latrines.
The deteriorating learning environment, contrasted with the school's role as a polling station, presents a stark contradiction that has left parents and the local community disillusioned.
Parents and locals say that since the classrooms were first built in 2008 with the support of a local church, there has been no structured development from the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF) from either constituency.
Mr Jackson Loteria, a local resident, said the school had been a polling station in Turkana Central Constituency since 2007, but was administratively managed by Loima Sub-County.
Currently, two classrooms have collapsed while the rest have cracks in the walls and floors.
According to another resident, Mr Egialan Loa, political interests during the 2017 general elections led to the administrative transfer of the school to Loima, with proponents hoping that this would lead to the relocation of the polling station to Loima Constituency.
"The school administration at that time was well aware that the school should be developed by Turkana Central NG-CDF, but they have now turned to Loima. Let us not let the confusion caused by political interests deny our children their right to education," said Mr Loa.
"We want the school to be built before our children report for the second term. If the Ministry of Education and the relevant NG-CDF offices don't intervene, we will not take our children to school," Mr Loteria added.
He further lamented that apart from the lack of infrastructural development, the school also suffers from a shortage of qualified teachers, which has a negative impact on the learning environment and students' performance.
"As parents, we are at a crossroads as to where to turn for help after some of the neglected classrooms collapsed," he said, calling on leaders to unite and prioritise the development of the school over politics.
Another resident, Mr Patrick Etaba, said the village was home to more than 3,000 people and the school served children from both constituencies.
"We want the village to be considered as a sub-location so that government services can be brought closer to us," said Mr Etaba.
Loima MP Protus Akuja clarified that the school falls under Turkana Central Constituency, but acknowledged that the constituency boundaries overlap.
He noted that resources follow constituents, but admitted that the school has often been associated with his constituency.
"However, I have asked NG-CDF officials to work closely with the school committee to improve the infrastructure. Even though the school is not directly under our jurisdiction, the matter could still be considered in future budget plans," said Dr Akuja.