Kenya launches national mediation hub to tackle unrest in schools, universities

The government has launched a national mediation hub to help prevent unrest, resolve disputes and strengthen security in schools, colleges and universities across the country.

The hub, domiciled at the Wangari Maathai Institute for Peace and Environmental Studies at the University of Nairobi, will connect more than 30,000 campus- and school-based mediation hubs with national government administration officers and their agencies.

The platform is expected to enable learning institutions to address grievances, student unrest and mental health challenges through dialogue and alternative dispute resolution rather than force.

Interior and National Administration Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen said the initiative comes at a critical time ahead of the 2027 General Election, warning that political tensions could spill into learning institutions.

Murkomen urged students trained as mediators to intervene early in disputes and promote peaceful dialogue as political activity intensifies.

“Emotions will run high, including in campuses where students will express different political views. Do not be passive observers. Be instruments of peace. Where there are hostile debates, sow civility. And where there is anger, sow calm,” he said.

The CS also raised concern over the involvement of students in political mobilisation, saying some political actors had turned young people into hired goons.

“Before politicians go to their rallies, they go and mobilize students, which is okay. That’s definitely okay, because those are voters. Unfortunately, some of them do so with the aim of turning some of our students into goons,” Murkomen said.

He said the new mediation network would help identify such situations early and steer students away from being exploited by political actors.

Murkomen further announced a new framework that will give student leaders and academic administrators a formal role in security and intelligence committees.

“We are unveiling a new framework that brings student leaders and academic administrators directly into security and intelligence committees. For the first time, the voice of students will be at the table where decisions about their safety are made,” he said.

He added that the government plans to institutionalise the Jukwaa la Wasomi initiative within two weeks.

The launch coincided with the graduation of Certified Professional Mediators trained under the Jukwaa la Wasomi Mediation and Preventive Security Training Programme, as well as the 2026 International Day of Peace and the second annual Jukwaa la Wasomi Summit.

Principal Secretary for Higher Education and Research Beatrice Inyangala said the summit should focus on challenges facing young people, including building trust and improving how students handle disagreements.

“The 2nd annual Jukwaa la Wasomi Summit gives us an opportunity to go beyond celebration and ask difficult questions: How do we build greater trust? How do we make dialogue part of our everyday culture? And how do we equip young people to handle disagreements constructively?” she said.

Inyangala cited research indicating that 90 per cent of students have experienced violence either as perpetrators or victims. She said women accounted for 65 per cent of those affected, compared to 35 per cent for men.

The Jukwaa la Wasomi programme is a government-led initiative implemented by the Universities and Colleges Students' Peace Association of Kenya (UCSPAK) through the Ministry of Interior and National Administration.

It brings together the Executive Office of the President, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health, Judiciary and other government agencies, with implementation overseen by a National Steering Committee.