On Thursday, as Kenya marked the anniversary of the June 25 protests, learners once again found themselves at the centre of disruption, with schools and parents weighing the risks of keeping children in class during periods of unrest.
For many families, the anniversary has become about more than just political significance. It is now a day of uncertainty, with concerns over safety, transport disruption and the possibility of clashes forcing schools and parents to make difficult decisions about whether or not to send children to school.
However, this year, the official half-term break for CBE learners, which began on June 24, shielded many students from directly encountering the demonstrations. The timing of the break reduced the likelihood of children being caught up in protests, road closures and running battles in major towns and cities such as Nairobi and Mombasa, which have historically witnessed large demonstrations. However, learning was disrupted in schools offering other curricula as they were in session.
In previous years, most public and private schools have advised parents to keep children at home or released them early as a precaution. Nevertheless, the situation has once again exposed how easily learning in Kenya can be disrupted whenever the country braces itself for political action.
Mr Abdi Noor, the national secretary of the Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (KESSHA), said that violent protests always affect the education sector because students and teachers are caught up in the melee while commuting.
“Learners would not be able to go to schools and teachers would be unable to get to their work stations. All this has a negative impact on our learning institutions,” said Mr Noor.
He noted that, during previous protests, learning in major towns such as Mombasa and Nairobi was severely disrupted, with parents often choosing to keep their children at home out of fear for their safety.
KESSHA Chairman Willie Kuria added that protests distract students and sometimes encourage them to join demonstrations.
“Our students feel Gen Zs are one of them, so when demonstrators are out making noise, they also want to participate. The demonstrators are rowdy, so when everybody is in the street roaming, how will students in schools near the demonstrations learn? They will be busy peeping to see what is happening,” he said.
Mr Kuria explained that secondary school students often see demonstrators as their peers, which fuels rebellious tendencies within schools.
“They feel it is us, the teachers, who are restricting them from moving out to join their colleagues. That is why sometimes our students also become rebellious in schools, because their colleagues are rebellious outside there,” he added.
KESSHA National Deputy Chair Elias Cheruiyot, who is also the Dagoretti High School principal, said protests directly affect the education sector by inhibiting movement.
“At the end of the day, school programmes are interrupted. Students don’t get to their schools, especially day scholars who are supposed to go in the morning and return home in the evening. Many times, day schools are affected greatly because there is no school on protest days,” he said.
Mr Cheruiyot added that protests disrupt not only student movement but also the delivery of goods and services to schools, as well as teachers who commute daily.
“The learners think demonstrations are the only way to solve their own issues. They learn from them. And even in day schools, sometimes learners join the demos, especially when they are not in school,” he said.
In May, learning in several parts of the country was disrupted after both private and public schools suspended classes over safety fears linked to the protests against rising fuel prices.
The demonstrations brought transport operations to a standstill in some major towns, including Mombasa, Machakos, Nairobi, Kiambu, forcing school administrators to make last-minute decisions to keep learners at home.
Several schools issued notices to parents announcing the temporary closure of institutions, citing concerns over the safety of students, teachers and school transport fleets amid growing tensions on major roads.
In messages sent to parents, school administrations said the uncertainty surrounding the protests made it difficult to guarantee safe movement of learners, especially those relying on school buses and public transport.
Other institutions noted that some of its buses could not access certain routes because of barricades and traffic congestion caused by protesters.
The National Parents Association (NPA) also expressed concern over the demonstrations, warning that unrest disrupts learning and puts students’ academic progress at risk.
“Day scholars are always affected because they are unable to attend school due to lack of transport and insecurity caused by the demonstrations,” said Mr Silas Obuhatsa, the association chairperson.
