Interior and National Administration Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has called on school principals and boards of management to strengthen security measures in learning institutions, including the installation of CCTV cameras, following the tragic fire at Utumishi Girls’ Senior Secondary School in Gilgil that claimed 16 lives.
Speaking during a thanksgiving ceremony at Kipsigis Girls’ High School in Kericho County on Sunday, Murkomen urged school administrators to proactively implement standard safety and security protocols to protect learners.
He said modern technology can help bridge security gaps arising from changing behavioural patterns among students.
“You must take proactive steps as principals and boards of management to ensure that our dormitories are not congested and that they have proper emergency exits,” said Murkomen.
The Cabinet Secretary further challenged schools to assess their security preparedness and enhance surveillance through the installation of security cameras to deter and detect potential threats.
“We need to ensure that all schools have properly installed CCTV cameras covering critical areas, as well as a central control room for effective monitoring and response,” he said.
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According to Murkomen, CCTV surveillance could help curb incidents such as dormitory fires by monitoring student movement and making it more difficult for acts of vandalism or arson to go undetected.
His remarks come just days after the devastating fire at Utumishi Girls’ Senior Secondary School in Nakuru County, which left 16 students dead and several others injured.
The CS also called on teachers to cultivate stronger relationships with learners to improve information sharing and create safer school environments.
“I want to encourage teachers to build strong networks and relationships with students so that they can freely share feedback on what is happening in school,” he said.
Drawing lessons from the Utumishi Girls tragedy, Murkomen noted that some warning signs and information shared by students may not have received the attention they deserved.
“One of the things we have learned from Utumishi Girls is that information shared by students was, in some cases, taken for granted,” he said.
He emphasized that timely action on concerns raised by learners could help prevent future tragedies.
Murkomen was accompanied by Kericho Governor Eric Mutai, Belgut MP Nelson Koech, Kericho County Commissioner Ali Omar, and several Members of County Assembly.
By Gastone Valusi
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