A dormitory was razed down by fire when students at Uriri High School in Migori expressed their disappointment after they were denied a chance to watch Kenya vs Algeria match in the ongoing AFCON games.
Speaking during a meeting with the education stakeholders and officials from Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) to assess the preparedness of the national examinations, Education CS George Magoha, with regards to the fire incident at Uriri, said that teachers who thwart school fires will be feted, as part of measures of encouraging others.
“For me even one building being burnt when we don’t have enough money to construct others is very painful, can we have the names of those teachers who thwarted the fires so that they come and we fete them during the course of next week, not just feting but with something palpable which will tell you that there is a price of being vigilant,” he said.
Education Regional officers were urges to conduct inspection visits to schools within their jurisdictions and be vigilant to prevent such incidents from recurring as its something manageable.
“There is no excuse for students to burn schools whatever time of the day when there are school heads and teachers. If you are sitting in an office and a dormitory is burning just know you are doing nothing,” he insisted.
In 2018, at least 32 counties were affected with fire incidences with the highest number of cases recorded in Siaya, Murang’a, Nairobi, Nyeri, and Kakamega especially in boarding schools, followed by mixed boarding and day schools, as the national examinations period approached.
Fear of examinations peer influence, change in education police resistance to the transfer of head teachers and indiscipline cited as major causes of unrest among students. CS Magoha warned those having future thoughts of razing down essential school property and those who will be caught in the act will be face criminal charges.
