Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha has warned students against torching schools, saying they will be dealt with in accordance with the law.
Magoha said any student found guilty of arson will not be allowed to get placement in another public school. He said all students should be aware they bear responsibility for all their actions, hence should desist from arson.
Magoha said only one per cent of the students across the country were unruly, but the rest were disciplined and ready to learn. The CS maintained that schools won’t be closed because of the ongoing unrest.
“Don’t think you will force us to close schools. We aren’t closing any school,” Magoha said.
He dismissed claims that the unrests were prompted by the challenges due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“And let’s not pretend that we are burning a building because of stress from Corona. That’s not true. The statistics show otherwise that this madness started around 2016."
The CS spoke when he presided over the official opening of a building of eight classrooms at Machakos Boys' School on Monday.
“Every action that you decide to do, there are consequences. We shall not handle you with kids’ gloves. You are our children because we produced you with our own blood," Magoha said.
"Anybody who is planning to burn a building, remember that if you are caught, you won’t go to any school. Definitely not any public school in this country.”
The CS told all students across the country to strive and be good examples to others.
“I appreciate your parents because they are building your schools for you. But why would you burn the schools so that you go back to them (parents) to give you more money to rebuild the same institutions?” Magoha said.
He said the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, the Director of Public Prosecutions and other relevant law enforcement authorities were ready to arrest and prosecute students found guilty of arson.
“Where I come from in Western [Kenya], it’s an abomination to burn a house. We are black Africans, not Europeans, and should stop adopting everything that the whites have done,” Magoha said.
He blamed the unrest on irresponsible parents.
“Discipline starts from the family, and it is a fact that a number of our families have failed us. It looks mundane and juvenile for somebody in high school to burn a building."
He said teachers should not send learners home for fees, adding that secondary education in day schools was absolutely free.
(edited by Amol Awuor)
