- The government says 90 per cent of students have experienced violence as victims or perpetrators.
- Higher Education PS Beatrice Inyangala says female students account for 65 per cent of those affected.
- Hillary Muhalya reports on new mediation structures aimed at strengthening safety across learning institutions.
The government has sounded the alarm over violence in Kenya’s learning institutions, revealing that up to 90 per cent of students have experienced some form of violence, either as victims or perpetrators.
The disclosure has raised fresh questions about the safety of students in universities, colleges and TVET institutions, with the government warning that some forms of abuse may be taking place silently, including through digital platforms.
Higher Education Principal Secretary Beatrice Inyangala said research-based findings show that violence affecting students includes both physical and online abuse, with female students accounting for about 65 per cent of those affected. Contemporary reporting of her remarks confirms the 90 per cent figure and states that women accounted for 65 per cent and men 35 per cent.
“Research tells us that 90 per cent of our students have experienced some form of violence either online or physical,” Inyangala said.
She said the findings were particularly concerning as institutions of higher learning admit a new generation of students transitioning from secondary school.
For parents and guardians, Inyangala said, the figures should prompt serious reflection on whether students are entering environments where they feel sufficiently protected.
The PS was speaking on Monday at the Wangari Maathai Institute for Peace and Environmental Studies at the University of Nairobi during the graduation of Jukwaa la Wasomi Certified Professional Mediators. The event took place on September 21, 2026.
Students get role in security decisions
The programme is designed to equip students with mediation and conflict-prevention skills while giving them a greater role in addressing insecurity and disputes within learning institutions.
The government said student leaders and institutional administrators will participate in sub-county security committee meetings, giving students a direct platform to contribute to discussions and decisions affecting their safety.
They will also support campaigns against drug and substance abuse in learning institutions and participate in government cohesion initiatives aimed at promoting peaceful coexistence.
The development comes as the government seeks to move conflict management in learning institutions beyond conventional security interventions and strengthen early identification and resolution of disputes.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, who presided over the ceremony, said the government was establishing a national framework to connect student-led mediation structures with security agencies.
Murkomen said the Kenya National Mediation Hub would link more than 30,000 mediation hubs based in universities, TVET institutions, colleges and schools with National Government Administration Officers and other agencies.
“To ensure that it more effectively fulfils the noble role for which it was created, we are putting in place a multi-agency framework to institutionalise this model,” Murkomen said.
The mediation initiative is anchored in the Jukwaa la Wasomi framework and delivered through the Universities and Colleges Students’ Peace Association of Kenya.
The ceremony also marked the International Day of Peace and the launch of the Kenya National Mediation Hub.
Building a culture of mediation
Inyangala challenged the newly trained mediators to use their skills to help change the culture around conflict in learning institutions.
She said their involvement could help create safer environments by empowering students to participate in preventing disputes rather than waiting for conflicts to escalate.
The event brought together senior education officials and representatives of universities, schools and TVET institutions, including Vice Chancellors Forum chairperson Prof Daniel Mugendi, University of Nairobi Council and Jukwaa la Wasomi chairperson Prof Chacha Nyagoti, UoN Vice Chancellor Prof Ayub Gitau, and representatives of KTCPA, KATTI, KESSHA and KEPSHA.
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The government’s disclosure places student safety at the centre of renewed efforts to strengthen peace, security and conflict prevention across Kenya’s education system.
By Hillary Muhalya
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