Schools will remain open, Matiangi insists

Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i has maintained that schools will remain open as the government and education stakeholders seek ways of resolving the current widespread school unrest.

Matiang’i said he has agreed with the civil society and other education stakeholders that they will not close schools, saying Monday morning’s crisis meeting on the arson attacks was successful.

The CS added that the Education Ministry and other stakeholders in the meeting have pledged their commitment to end the crisis in public schools, with more details to be revealed later.

Speaking after the closed door crisis meeting on the unrests, Matiang’i stated that civil society groups will meet with the government and education stakeholders every two months to stabilise the education sector.

They have however appealed to parents to play their role in taming the situation in schools, as more schools fires continue to be reported across the country.

Meanwhile, Igembe South MP Mithika Linturi has urged parents across the country to take the responsibility of nurturing their children in order to put a stop to the ongoing spate of school unrest.

Speaking at Kaaga Primary in Imenti North Sub County on Monday, the MP blamed the recent school arsons on the moral decadence of the society, adding that teachers are not to blame.

Linturi said it is not a normal scenario for high school students all over the country to come to a decision to burn down both school and personal property.

Elsewhere, two dormitories were set on fire on Sunday night in separate incidents at Kakuku Secondary School in Machakos and Ngaru Girls Secondary School in Kirinyaga County.

Speaking to Citizen Digital, Masinga OCPD Mashua Juma confirmed the fire incident at Kakuku boy’s dormitory, saying it resulted to the collapsing of the whole dormitory.

Mashua said students and members of the community tried to put off the fire but the fire was too big that only few belongings were salvaged before the dormitory collapsed.

Four boys have been arrested for questioning following the incident at Kakuku Boys Secondary and are been held at Masinga Police Station.

Elsewhere in Ngaru girls secondary in Kirinyaga County, over 120 students were forced to share a dormitory with their colleagues after their dormitory was razed down.

Kirinyaga Central OCPD Eliud Monari said the fire was discovered by a teacher on duty who later informed police officers and fire fighters in Kirinyaga County.

Written by Roseanne Ng’ang’a