Education stakeholders in Nairobi have attributed the recent wave of unrest in secondary schools across the country to external influences, poor communication between learners and school administrations, congestion in boarding facilities, and challenging living conditions.
Speaking during a stakeholders' meeting convened to address the growing cases of student unrest, Nairobi County Director of Education Agwings Edwin Ongijo said authorities had intensified engagements with learners in an effort to restore calm and keep students focused on their studies.
"We are having a challenge but we are on top of things. We are moving around and talking to students and telling them what they are supposed to do. A good number have been convinced of what they need to do," said Ongijo.
He noted that with only two weeks remaining before the mid-term break, education officials were encouraging learners to remain in school and avoid disruptions that could negatively affect their academic progress.
"We have discovered that they could be having issues affecting them, but we are advising them on how to address the issues through better communication. Our policy is that we need to communicate effectively and also collaborate," he said.
According to Ongijo, many students were acting on rumours circulating within and outside schools, with some believing that other institutions had already closed and therefore wanting to leave as well.
"Most of them are operating on rumours. They have been told of schools which have already been closed and they want to join them at home. They don't have a concrete reason why they want to go home," he added.
The education director identified several grievances raised by students, including poor quality meals, overcrowded dormitories, strained relationships with teachers, and a feeling that their concerns were not being adequately addressed.
"Some students are blaming it on meals, congestion in dorms, which we have seen in some schools, and we are trying to decongest them. They are also talking about teachers who are not listening to them. We are telling teachers to find better ways of addressing learners and be sensitive to their concerns," said Ongijo.
The unrest has affected several schools in Nairobi over the past two weeks, prompting intervention by a multi-agency team comprising education officials, security agencies, school principals, and boards of management.
Nairobi North Sub-County Commissioner Simon Osumba said three schools—Highway Secondary School, Pumwani Secondary School, and Our Lady of Mercy Shauri Moyo Girls—had been affected when the unrest began.
"When the unrest started, three of our schools were affected. It is only Our Lady of Mercy that has not resumed, but the rest are back in session," said Osumba.
He said the multi-agency team had been visiting schools, including Jamhuri High School, Ngara Girls High School, and Pangani Girls High School, to engage learners and address emerging concerns.
"We are also realizing that there are communications going on and a lot of rumours which are all false. In one of the schools, students were told that everybody else was at home and they were the only ones still in school. That kind of communication is creating panic and making some learners want to go home," he said.
Osumba assured parents that security measures had been enhanced, including increased police patrols around schools, to ensure the safety of learners and staff.
Education stakeholders also pointed to external influences as a possible factor behind some of the unrest cases, saying investigations were ongoing to determine the extent of outside involvement.
Meanwhile, Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association Nairobi North chairman and Kamiti Secondary School Principal Luke Githaiga Kimaru called for collective efforts to address the situation.
"Many schools are affected and that is why we are coming together to see what we can do. The main affected institutions are boarding schools and we are doing as much as we can by increasing surveillance and monitoring activities," he said.
Kimaru noted that school heads were spending sleepless nights managing tensions and ensuring the safety of learners.
While supporting the government's position that the academic calendar remains unchanged, he said schools could consider case-by-case interventions where student safety is at risk.
The stakeholders urged parents, teachers, and learners to work together to address grievances through dialogue, warning that continued unrest could disrupt learning and undermine preparations for national examinations.
