Speaking during a prize giving day at the Ngara Girls High School, the Education CS described it as a vice that must be rooted out completely from students minds/FILE
NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 30 – Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i says three students have so far been arrested and charged even as the Education Ministry continues with the crackdown of vandalism in schools.
Speaking during a prize giving day at the Ngara Girls High School, the Education CS described it as a vice that must be rooted out completely from students minds.
While attributing the increased cases of arson to students’ gambling in sports or being unfairly treated by teachers, he emphasised the need for everybody to take responsibility for their actions.
“You admit students to the school who are not actually students but they are there to play football so that your school can shine. Because you want them to do well in football, those are the ones you allow to the match at night and you want the others who are not footballers to go to sleep,” he stated.
“It is not right for students to smoke bhang, it is not right for students to engage in gambling and now time is here for us parents to confront this reality and deal with it,” he said.
READ: Probe into arson at school in Kisii underway
The CS urged students to concentrate on their studies as their actions will have a long term effect on their lives.
“Arrests have been going on, three were taken to court yesterday and I know there are several who have been arrested and investigations are going on. When all these burning was going on for example in the last three years, sixty four dormitories have been burned down in Meru County,” he revealed.
“When all these things were going on, you find that no one was prosecuted and no one was ever taken to court and they happen again and again.”
His sentiments were echoed by Youth and Gender Cabinet Secretary Cecily Kariuki who encouraged students not to resort to vandalism for their grievances to be heard but to focus on what brought them to school.
“It is not okay to burn dormitories to be heard. It is also not okay to expect to move to spaces which are not premium spaces if you do not work hard. It is not okay to sit and not do what it is you came to school to do and expect that things are going to be okay with you. Most people miss opportunities because of having this kind of attitude,” she stated.
In the meantime, the Education CS further indicated that he will not stop his impromptu visits to schools across the country.
Matiang’i explained that he is doing his job and this is one way of him knowing the challenges being experienced in various institutions.
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