The Ministry of Education (MoE) has suspended the boarding sections of 348 schools that have not passed the compliance test as per the safety standards manual for schools.
Education Cabinet Secretary (CS) Julius Ogamba said the schools were identified as non-compliant during comprehensive safety audits of boarding schools in the country.
The CS said the schools will now only operate as day schools from January 2025.
In a statement, the CS noted that the ministry had concluded comprehensive safety audits of boarding schools that were prompted by the tragic fire at Hill Side Endarasha Academy in Nyeri County on September 5 which claimed the lives of 21 pupils.
“Major concerns pointed out during exercise include dormitory safety, sanitation, fire equipment maintenance, and overall learner welfare. These measures demonstrate our commitment to ensuring a safe and conducive learning environment,” the CS said.
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The MoE had further commissioned an audit on all boarding schools to assess safety standards after 107 school fire incidents and 239 cases of unrest were reported from around country this year alone.
The fires were recorded between January 2024 to September 16, 2024 and 36 out of the 107 school fires occurred during the third term, mainly targeting dormitories.
The team that included Quality Assurance and Standards Officers (QASOs) were assessing both the safety and health standards in those schools to ensure they conform to MoE’s safety standards manual for schools.
By Obegi Malack
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