- Parliament’s Departmental Committee on Education has demanded answers after 359 cases of school fires and student unrest were recorded nationwide between April 27 and July 31.
- The Basic Education PS has told MPs that overcrowding under the 100 per cent transition policy is not the sole driver of the incidents, citing a combination of factors under investigation.
- The ministry has described the withholding of students’ certificates as illegal and has assured MPs it is working with the National Treasury to release capitation funds on time.
The National Assembly’s Departmental Committee on Education is demanding answers after 359 cases of school fires and student unrest were recorded across the country over the past three months, figures the Ministry of Education says point to a combination of factors rather than overcrowding alone.
The committee, chaired by Tinderet MP Julius Melly, received the figures from Basic Education Principal Secretary John Ololtuaa during a briefing at Bunge Tower and has called for urgent measures to safeguard learners, school infrastructure and other education facilities.
According to a statement issued by Parliament on Tuesday, August 4, the incidents, recorded between April 27 and July 31, included school fires, attempted and threatened arson attacks, cases of student unrest and precautionary school closures.
Responding to questions from MPs, Ololtuaa said overcrowding was not the only factor behind the fires and unrest, acknowledging that the government’s 100 per cent transition policy had increased student enrolment but maintaining that the incidents stemmed from a combination of causes.
Ololtuaa told the committee that the Ministry of Education had put in place measures to improve school safety and address the root causes of unrest, and that investigations into the incidents were ongoing alongside additional mitigation measures to prevent similar occurrences.
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Lawmakers also pressed the PS on delays in the disbursement of capitation funds, adherence to approved school fee structures and the continued withholding of students’ certificates by some schools.
Ololtuaa described the withholding of certificates as illegal and said the ministry would take action against institutions found flouting the law. He further assured MPs that the ministry was working with the National Treasury to ensure capitation funds are released on time, and confirmed that funds had already been allocated to pay Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) examination invigilators.
By Frank Mugwe
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