The government on Tuesday, July 18 ordered all day schools in Nairobi and Mombasa counties to be shut down ahead of this week’s anti-government protests called for by the Azimio coalition.
In a joint statement, Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu and his Interior counterpart Kithure Kindiki announced that the decision has been informed by intelligence reports indicating criminal elements intended to unleash terror around certain schools within the three cities.
“As a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of school children, it has been decided that all day Primary and Secondary schools within Nairobi, Kisumu, and Mombasa cities remain closed,” read part of the statement.
Teachers have warned that learners may lose up to 20 hours of lessons due to the planned three-day anti-government protest.
Primary school learners will lose 14 hours, while secondary school learners will lose about 20 hours.
Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association chairman Kahi Indimuli said learners stand to lose more if protests are not stopped and called for negotiations between the opposition and government.
The directive does not affect schools in other regions, including some that have witnessed violent protests like Kisii and Nakuru.
The last round of protests saw learners stranded as police engaged demonstrators in running battles.
In Kangemi and Nakuru, security forces lobbed teargas in schools, affecting learners who were in classes, resulting in some being hospitalized following the incident.
The government has condemned the acts of disrupting learning activities by subjecting the students to unnecessary chaos as police and protesters engaged in running battles in major cities across the country.
The Ministry of Education is expected to announce the resumption of learning in the schools upon assessment of the security situation in the country.
By Thuita Jaswant
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