KUPPET calls for scrapping of boarding schools after Utumishi fire
KUPPET calls for scrapping of boarding schools after Utumishi fire
KUPPET Chairperson Omboko Milemba has called for the disbandment of boarding schools in Kenya following the Utumishi Girls Academy tragedy that claimed the lives of 16 students on Thursday this week.
Speaking during an engagement on Friday, May 28, Milemba said the move would allow parents to keep children at home, monitor their development, and shield them from what he described as congested dormitory facilities in many schools across the country.
He argued that many boarding institutions continue to operate with safety standards below required safety standards, putting thousands of learners at risk as schools struggle with infrastructure challenges.
Milemba urged Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba to take the lead in initiating the necessary reforms that could eventually phase out boarding schools nationwide.
“The Education CS must now be brave and make the bold decision of abolishing boarding schools in Kenya. We can have our children go to day schools, the same as in other countries,” Milemba said.
“It is not a must that our children stay in schools,” he added.
His remarks come in the wake of the Utumishi Girls tragedy, where CS Ogamba ordered the immediate dissolution of the school’s Board of Management over alleged negligence.
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The CS further directed the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to begin disciplinary action against the principal, while the two teachers implicated will also face proceedings.
Ogamba said investigations revealed serious safety lapses, including dormitory congestion and a locked exit door, contrary to safety regulations.
He also disclosed that two teachers had been informed of planned unrest by Form Three students but failed to act before the arson incident.
He added that investigations are ongoing to establish further negligence within the Ministry of Education and TSC, warning that appropriate legal and disciplinary action will follow.
Ogamba confirmed that the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) is holding eight learners as persons of interest as probes continue into the arson attack.
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