Abstract:
Site selection is a complex problem that involve, technical,
political social, environmental and economic demands that are
difficult to satisfy via one method which may be in conflict with
others. Schools need be located on safe places; these safe locations
should also be optimal and economical to the public in terms of
accountability. Location of these schools has always been done
without use of any scientific methods and has led to sprouting of
schools located in unsuitable locations. The study area, Belgut
Constituency in Kericho County, has schools with less than
minimum land size, over enrolment and close to flood prone areas.
This was due to lack of regulations on establishment of new
emerging schools. Hence there is need to use combination of
Geographical Information Systems (GIS) tools and multi criteria
evaluation (MCE) methods in locating them in the most suitable
location. This way, incidences of congested, dangerous locations,
underutilized schools and human bias will be eliminated. The
research study objective was to locate the physical site for any school
using GIS technology integrated with Analytical Hierarchy Process
(AHP), a tool in MCE for finding a suitable location of any new
school. Also a weighted overlay method, a tool in ArcGIS, was used
to combine all the identified criteria and the results indicated that
there are suitable and economically viable areas to add new schools
to the eastern part of Belgut which totals to 32 Ha with a small part
falling in the central and south western part. From the results it was
recommended that in locating new schools the management should
embrace use of GIS technology integrated with MCE methods in
locating their new schools effectively economically and socially. The
authority concerned with school location and safety need to make
and published a preferred criteria for use in Kenya.
