Rarieda Member of Parliament (MP) Otiende Amollo has called for a parliamentary inquiry into the growing cases of unrest in schools and urged a review of children’s access to online content following the deadly fire at Utumishi Girls Academy in Gilgil.
Speaking in the National Assembly, Otiende said the tragedy should prompt a broader national conversation on the values being instilled in children and the factors shaping their behaviour, including religion, parenting, education and technology.
“As we examine ourselves and agree with the Majority Leader, we must examine the values that we are instilling in our children. We must examine the place of religion,” he told the House.
The lawmaker observed that society has gradually abandoned the traditional collective approach to raising children, leaving the responsibility largely to parents and teachers.
“Many of us, when we were growing up, raising a child was a collective responsibility. Now it has been left to the parent and the teacher,” he said.
Otiende further argued that teachers have increasingly been stripped of the authority to discipline learners and guide their conduct.
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“The teacher is disempowered because there is not much the teacher can do other than warn,” he noted.
He also faulted some parents for disengaging from their children’s upbringing once they join school, warning that unsupervised internet access could be influencing learners’ behaviour.
“Many of us parents, once we submit the child to school, we wash our hands. The child is left to the internet,” he said.
The MP said the recurring incidents of school unrest have become a national concern that requires intervention beyond the education sector. He urged Parliament to establish an ad hoc committee to investigate the root causes and recommend lasting solutions.
“Mr Speaker, I think it is time that, as Parliament, we form an ad hoc committee to examine unrest in schools. It is not enough to leave it to the department anymore,” he said.
National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula echoed the concerns, blaming some parents for neglecting their role in guiding and disciplining their children.
“Parents feel once they have given their children smartphones, the problem is over, but it is even the introduction of a bigger problem. There is hardly any parent who sits with their children to teach them the dos and don’ts of life,” said Wetang’ula.
The debate comes amid growing calls by legislators for a review of boarding schools and the government’s 100 per cent transition policy following the fatal fire at Utumishi Girls Academy, which claimed the lives of 16 students and reignited concerns over safety and discipline in learning institutions.
By Frank Mugwe
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