Koskei: Schools must enforce order or pay the price

Head of Public Service Felix Koskei. [Boniface Okendo, Standard]

Head of Public Service Felix Koskei has urged schools to enforce discipline, days after 16 students died in a dormitory fire linked to safety violations by school management.

He spoke during an interdenominational prayer day for 2026 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) candidates at Kapsigilai Girls Senior School in Tinderet, Nandi County.

Addressing parents, teachers and communities, Koskei said discipline must define both conduct and academic life.

"Discipline must remain the cornerstone of academic achievement and responsible citizenship," said Koskei.

The remarks landed against the backdrop of a fire at Utumishi Girls Academy in Gilgil, Nakuru County, that claimed 16 learners' lives, with preliminary investigations revealing serious lapses in safety compliance, including overcrowding in the dormitory and a locked exit door.

Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba dissolved the school's Board of Management for failing to ensure compliance with the School Safety Manual and the Basic Education Regulations.

Eight students were arrested on suspicion of arson, with investigators noting that two teachers had been informed of students' alleged plans but failed to act.

Koskei called on schools to reject the normalisation of violence, warning that institutions which ignored order and safety risked paying a heavy price, as recent incidents had shown.

At the rally, 25 top-performing students received awards and books were distributed to schools to address shortages in learning materials.