On Thursday,July 12, in the morning at around 6:30 , a broke out Gendia High School in Rachuonyo North Homa Bay County. The cause of the fire is yet to be established .
The fire had not been put off by 7:30 am.
The matter has been confirmed by School principal Reuben Kodiango .
The cases of school fires and students unrest in Nyanza is wanting.
On Tuesday night ,July 10, at least 5 schools were razed down by fire.
Most incidents occurred in the Nyanza and Western in western regions.
The schools are:
- Kisii High School.
- Chianda Secondary School in Siaya.
- Makhokho Secondary school in Kakamega.
- Dr Aloo Gumbe Secondary School in Kisumu.
- Thurdi-buoro High School in Nyakach.
This brings to more than 20 the number of schools burnt by students in Nyanza only.
The Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) George Kinoti warned that he will press criminal charges against students or teachers found to be involved in the arson cases.
Other warnings have been given by the Education officials.
This comes barely some hours after the Education CS Amina Mohammed , PS Belio Kipsang and KNEC Chairman George Magoha cautioned students over unrest and burning of schools.
Education Principal Secretary Dr Belio Kipsang warned students over the recent cases of unrest and arsons.
He was speaking on Tuesday ,July 10, at Shimo La Tewa Secondary school in Mombasa Belio and said that so far 125 students have been arrested. He is in Coast to investigate the cases of student unrest and school fires in the region.
Kipsang said,“Those who are participating in these criminal activities of burning schools, if they are students, they will not hide behind the uniform. We shall unmask them and treat them as criminals.”
The PS also said,“Those involved in the burning must meet the cost of restoring back the structures. Their parents must meet the cost. People need to be accountable for their acts.”
Furthermore, he said,”I urge principals to invest in intelligence systems. They need to know what happens within their schools because they are like the CEOs of their institutions and the buck stops with them.”
This year around 35 schools have been closed down after students went on the rampage or threatened to strike.
Kipsang said they are hoping to curb the cases of students unrest this year.
He used flashback and said in 2016 over 450 cases of arson and unrest were reported, 2017 the cases went down to about 90 and in 2018 so far they are 35.
He noted that there are over 9,000 public secondary schools and 2,000 private secondary schools and wondered why only 35 have had issues.
In addition he said,“More than 99 per cent of the secondary schools are doing well. We are doing the best by trying to try and bring down these incidences. We are working as an inter-agency, we have officials from KNEC, TSC, Ministry of Education and the DCI.”
On the issue of advice to students he said,“I want to urge our students, let’s focus on preparing for our examinations. We are giving them assurance of clean examination.”
On the issue of exam preparation he said,“We have increased the number of containers with 40 more. The distance of the containers to examination centres has been a challenge in administering examinations.”
His counterparts ,Education CS Amina Mohammed and KNEC Chairman George Magoha , were in Kisumu Girls High School.
The KNEC Chairman George Magoha on Tuesday ,July 10, while Speaking in Kisumu girls, he has told the students who are burning or planning to burn schools to desist from engaging in unlawful acts.
Magoha said ,”Examinations are very secure. It will be seen on the morning of exams………stop burning schools or doing these tantrums, we will not be moved. Discipline is not negotiable.”
Furthermore, he said,”If you like, burn more schools, we will administer the exams under trees. We will not be intimidated by acts of hooliganism.”
He has also said,”It is three months to the exams and a normal student should study. Getting our attention by burning property will not work. I can’t understand why three months to exam you start burning schools. Don’t waste your time.”
In addition , the KNEC chairman has said ,”It does not matter how good you are in management skills, if you are not there then you don’t exist. Teachers and principals should be available in schools.”
Students have burnt dormitories, dining halls and descended on other assets occasioning huge losses worth millions of shillings in the last 9 days.
The effect of this will be : to take a toll on students preparing for KCSE examinations in three months and parents will have to pay for all the property burnt.
Education CS Amina Mohammed also spoke on the issue on Monday.
The education CS Amina Mohammed on Monday, July 9, said that 3 students at Siakago Boys in Embu have been jailed for one year on probation.
She added that the 3 students have been cleared from school and can only attend as day-scholars as they report to the local chief.
The CS said ,”I want to categorically state that the government supports Directorate of Criminal Investigations to criminalise all acts of students unrest, destruction and arson and warn the public that anyone who will be found culpable of aiding these students to cause havoc will be dealt with according to the law.”
In addition she said that 125 students from various schools have been arrested by police in the ongoing crackdown on the current issue of of riots.
According to her, teams of Quality Assurance officers have been dispatched to these schools and School administration and Boards directed to take firm steps to ensure learning continues as usual .
She said that the main reason for the students to do the riots is because they are opposing tough examination rules that have been put in place and meant to stamp out cheating.
While addressing journalists on Monday, July 9, the CS said that all boarding schools have been instructed to double the number of teachers to monitor student activities during the evening and morning preps.
Furthermore, she said Qality Assurance officers have been instructed to file daily reports on the security situations in their regions with clear explanations on any existing gaps.
Around 10 boarding secondary schools have experienced cases of unrest.
From these ,7 are arson cases that have targeted dormitories.
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