'We will come for you!' Education PS Bitok warns students behind school fires

Basic Education Principal Secretary Prof. Julius Bitok is warning students and individuals involved in school unrest and destruction of school property that they will face legal consequences.

The PS said investigations and close monitoring of schools is ongoing following reports of external influences in some school disruptions.

Despite the incidents, the Ministry of Education maintains the school calendar will not be affected, noting that only a small percentage of schools have experienced learning disruptions.

In less than a week, dozens of schools across the country have been forced to send learners home following reports of unrest and rising tensions within the institutions.

Speaking in Bomet County, PS Bitok warned of severe consequences for anyone found responsible for instigating school disturbances or disrupting learning.

“We have decided to deal with those people and we are putting them on notice…even the students who are burning schools, you will not go scot free! We shall come for you…if you are responsible, tutakupeleka jela na tukufunge huko ata kama wewe ni mtoto,” he said.

The PS said the Ministry of Education is working with security agencies to investigate recent incidents and rule out any external interference in the country's education system warning that individuals found undermining learning institutions will be dealt with.

He asked parents to engage their children and support teachers.

“This government is putting in Ksh.770 billion in education alafu watu wachache wanataka kuharibu, watu wachache wanataka kuleta nyokonyoko…we’re not going to accept, we’re going to stand firm,” PS Bitok said.

Despite recent incidents of unrest reported in some institutions, the Ministry of Education maintains learning will continue normally in most of schools across the country.

“We have 3.2 million learners in Kenya, only about 2,000 are bringing problems, we are not going to close or interfere with our calendar of our schools because of a few students who are bringing problems, we cannot accept to be distracted by a few criminal students who are engaging in bad activities in our schools,” the PS stated.

In Nyeri County, a multi-agency team met to discuss issues surrounding student unrest and mitigation measures.

According to Regional Commissioner Joshua Nkanatha, close to 30 schools have been affected in the Central Region.

“We’re going as per the government directive that no school will be closed prematurely, the mid-term according to the government is from the 24th and this team, the teachers, the school management, the police officers will ensure security prevails in our institutions,” said Nkanatha.

According to Nkanatha, a number of learners have been arrested and arraigned in the recent past.

He says the security team is working with schools to fight illegal substances around schools and ensure safety of learners and school property.