Could school employees in Kenya be the missing link in the raging fires puzzle?

NAIROBI: The possible role of schools’ support staff in the fire crisis came into sharp focus yesterday as cases of arson continued to be reported. Education stakeholders who spoke to The Standard on Saturday yesterday said a lot of emphasis has been laid on students, principals and teachers with little attention on non-teaching staff.

“There is a missing link that we hope the investigating team will look into because no one knows how petrol is sneaked into schools,” said Janet Muthoni, Elimu Yetu Coalition national coordinator.

Ms Muthoni spoke after a meeting with fellow education stakeholders that was called following the wave of school fires in the country.

“... there must be someone within or outside school who facilitates the execution of the motive by making available the fuel used to torch dormitories,” she said.

Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (KESSHA) national chairman John Awiti said there must be someone or a group of people culpable for facilitating the burning of schools. “Who is this that makes available petrol to learners yet we know petrol stations are not allowed to purchase the commodity in containers?” Mr Awiti said.

“We ask the investigators to ensure everyone is questioned so that the chain of arson is eliminated completely,” said Mr Awiti.

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He said in any school, support staff includes drivers, cooks, librarians, lab technicians, matrons and patrons, housekeepers, bursars and accountants, storekeepers, grounds men and security personnel.

The support staff umbrella union–Kenya Union of Domestic, Hotels, Educational Institutions, Hospitals and Allied Workers (KUDHEIHA)– Secretary General Albert Obed said the workers are vulnerable because they are poorly remunerated.

“These persons are at the mercy of the principal who hires and fires. Their wages are very low and if someone approaches them for a task of smuggling in drugs or flammable material there are chances they may not resist,” said Obed.

“We are not condoning the fires. But nobody is talking to us and therefore there could be a possibility,” said Obed.

He further claimed there is a huge disconnect between support staff and teachers.
“Teachers do not mix well with these workers. They look down upon them and so it is difficult for the administration to know what they think. Some are under domestic stress due to poor pay,” he said.

Speaking yesterday, Obed said some of the students easily get along well with the support staff, making it easier for them (students) to get what they want from outside schools.

But a civil society organisation – Future of Kenya Foundation– offered a different approach.

“Let us first know who wants schools to burn, then we shall work backwards to know who aided in the process,” said Cyprian Nyamwamu, the foundation director.

Awiti yesterday said the fact that there are no causalities reported so far means that students are always aware of the plans ahead of time. He also pointed out the possible link between the fires and radicalisation of the children and infiltration of devil worshiping in schools.