BY EMMANUEL KIPRUTO
As Kenya’s Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) continues to place greater emphasis on sports, physical education, and talent development, Kapkondor Primary School in Kipkelion East faces an urgent crisis that stands in direct contrast to these goals. Despite being officially selected to host school sporting activities in the area, the school’s playing ground remains dangerously unfit for learners.
Kapkondor Primary’s field is marked by uneven topography, deep holes, loose soil, and rough patches that pose constant hazards for children. During physical education lessons now a core component of learning under CBC pupils must navigate a ground where one wrong step can result in twisted ankles, cuts, bruises, or more serious injuries. For teachers, the focus often shifts from teaching skills to simply preventing accidents.
The situation is even more worrying because Kapkondor Primary has been chosen as a host field for inter-school events. Schools from nearby communities gather on this same uneven, unsafe ground for athletics and ball games, despite the fact that it fails to meet even basic safety standards. Instead of being a space where young talent is nurtured, the field has become an obstacle to the very objectives CBC seeks to achieve.
Adding to the frustration is the fact that political leaders frequently use the same field for campaigns during election seasons. Rallies are held here “every now and then,” yet no lasting improvements or rehabilitation efforts have been made afterward. The irony is painful: the field is good enough for leaders to campaign on, but not good enough for the children who use it daily. After each political event, the ground is often left in even worse condition with more holes, damaged grass, and litter that the school has to clean up.
Parents have repeatedly raised concerns, questioning why in a country promoting sports as one of the pathways to talent development and national growth, children are still playing and learning on a field that puts them at risk. “If leaders can gather thousands of people here during campaigns,” one parent noted, “why can’t they prioritize fixing the same field for our children?” And this is surely felt because someone is now talking from the feelings one has towards our children.
Teachers too face the challenge of balancing CBC requirements such as carrying out PE practices which is impossible to be done in classroom with the real dangers posed by the environment. Yes the resource is there, instead of encouraging active participation, the poor field conditions discourage learners and limit meaningful practice time.
Kapkondor Primary School urgently needs intervention. A proper sports field levelled, rehabilitated, and maintained. It is not a luxury but a necessity in the CBC era. A safe, functional playing ground would support academic growth, promote physical development, nurture talent, and protect learners during sports and PE activities.
Community members and school leadership are calling on the County Government of Kericho, the Ministry of Education, elected leaders, sports associations, and development partners to step in and address the issue. With CBC emphasizing practical learning and talent development, the condition of Kapkondor’s playing field demands immediate action, not promises.
The children have the talent, the dreams, and the determination. What they urgently need is a safe field to run on, and leaders who prioritize their future as much as their votes.
