Lugari MP faults parents over child neglect amid grooming scandal

National Assembly's Education Committee member Lugari MP Nabii Nabwere at Bunge Towers, Parliament, Nairobi. May 22nd,2025 [Elvis Ogina, Standard]

Lugari Member of Parliament and Education Committee member Nabii Nabwera has urged parents to take greater responsibility in understanding and supporting their children.

His remarks follow recent allegations of grooming and harassment at Alliance Girls High School.

Last week, an exposé by Africa Uncensored detailed disturbing claims against a teacher accused of intimidating and sexually grooming students for over two decades.

According to Nabwera, while the government plays a regulatory role in education, it cannot replace the critical role of a parent in their child’s emotional and social well-being.

“What has happened in this country is that in ensuring we have a seamless education for our children, and I say this with a lot of humility, parents have abdicated their duty,” said Nabwera.

“The parental and community culture does not allow children to talk about sex or speak up about molestation,” he added.

Nabii Nabwera: We live in a culture, and that’s what I’m blaming. The parental and community culture does not allow children to talk about sex or speak up about molestation.#TheSituationRoom

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However, Silas Obuhatsa, National Chairman of the Parents Association Kenya (NPA), shifted the responsibility back to school management, insisting that schools must do more to ensure student safety.

“If I take my child to school, once I hand them over to the security personnel at the gate, my responsibility ends there—unless there’s a specific reason that requires me to return. I have no authority to trespass into the school or investigate what’s happening to my child without an official invitation,” Obuhatsa said.

He called on the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to enforce the code of conduct among educators and reminded institutions of their duty to uphold professional standards.

“Chapter 6 of the Kenyan Constitution speaks about integrity and how one should conduct oneself. Teachers are professionals,” he said.

Obuhatsa further recommended that TSC deploy more guidance and counselling teachers to schools and that school heads be trained on disaster management. He also urged institutions to create space during visitation days for meaningful conversations between parents and students.

As investigations into the Alliance Girls case continue, the spotlight now turns to the role both parents and schools play in protecting children, raising urgent questions about trust, communication, and accountability within the country’s education system.

So far, Basic Education Principal Secretary Julius Bitok has ordered the teacher’s arrest and prosecution, noting that the government will not tolerate abuse in learning institutions.