Stop employing old men as watchmen, schools told

Boards of Management in secondary schools have been warned against recruiting elderly persons as security guards.

According to Homa Bay County Commissioner Irungu Macharia, security is a key element for success of students so it should not be left to retirees.

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He urged them to only recruit security guards from registered private security firms which can be held responsibly should there be a security breach.

“Schools which have already recruited elderly persons as security guards should start preparing for termination of their services or re-deploy them to another area,” Macharia said.

He was speaking during the Education Day at Homa Bay High School on Tuesday.

The commissioner further reiterated that elderly persons cannot be expected to raise the alarm in good time when there is a security incident.

He revealed that a county security team is in place to ensure that only the right people are recruited to guard schools.

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There should also be at least one teacher per school who is responsible for security matters, he added.

On her part, Homa Bay County Director of Education Margret Mwadale also expressed concern over the rising cases of insecurity in schools.

She urged education stakeholders to work together and find a lasting solution.