Committee probing school fires gets more time

Education Cabinet Secretary, Dr Fred Matiang’i, has extended the term of the committee investigating last term’s cases of school unrest by six weeks.

The extension followed a meeting with the Special Investigations Committee members at his Jogoo House office.

The team – led by career administrator, Clare Omollo, said it needed more time to thoroughly analyse the data it had collected since it was appointed in July.

Wednesday’s decision means a stakeholders meeting that was to be held on Friday to discuss the committee’s report has been put off indefinitely.

In July, the government formed an eight-member Special Investigations Team to ‘vigorously comb the areas affected by incidents of school unrest’.

The team commenced work immediately and was supposed to submit a findings report to the Ministry of Education and the Interior Ministry within 30 days.

The team had membership drawn from the two ministries.

The team was required to ensure comprehensive investigation of all cases of school fires during the second term of 2016, review recommendations of past task forces on student unrest, review implementation status and propose methodology of effecting the balance of proposals as well as audit existing school safety and security regulations and system and make recommendations on stricter measures to ensure high standards of discipline in schools.

The team comprises; Secretary of Administration in the Officer of the President, Claire Omolo, Assistant Inspector General of Police, Lilian Muli, Assistant Inspector General in the Criminal Investigations Department, Patrick Mugo, Senior Assistant Director in the Ministry of Education, Charles Khayira, Senior Assistant Director in the Ministry of Education, James Kairu, Senior Deputy Director in the Teachers Service Commission, Loise Nyasenda, Educationist Gracie K. Mullei and Lt. Col. (Rtd) F.C. Mugambi.