The Ministry of Education and Interior have jointly announced the resumption of learning in Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu counties a day after schools were closed.
Education Cabinet Secretary (CS) Ezekiel Machogu and his Interior counterpart Kithure Kindiki, in a circular on Wednesday evening July 19, 2023, said their ministries decided to reopen schools in the three counties after the government undertook an evaluation of the current security situation.
“The government took the precautionary measure of ordering all day primary and secondary schools in Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu Counties to remain closed on 19th July, 2023. As indicated, the measure was meant to ensure the safety of school children, based on the credible intelligence that criminal elements were intent on engaging with security agencies around certain schools.
“The Government has now undertaken an evaluation of the current security situation in various parts of the country, including in Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu Counties. The relevant security agencies have established that the security situation in the three Counties, and in other parts of the country, has been restored to normal,” a statement issued by the two CSs read in part.
The two ministries directed that all schools in Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu counties resume normal operations on July 20, 2023.
“On the basis of the evaluation, it is hereby directed that all day primary and secondary schools in Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu Counties re-open for normal school activities on 20th July, 2023. The Government has taken adequate measures to guarantee the safety and security of learners and their schools across the country.
School closure
The government announced the closure of all day primary and secondary schools within Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu cities on Wednesday, over protests called by the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya alliance.
In a statement on Tuesday, Interior CS Kithure Kindiki said the move was meant to ensure the safety of learners.
“As a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of school children, it has been decided that all day primary and secondary schools within the cities of Nairobi and Mombasa will be closed on Wednesday,” Kindiki said in a statement.
He said the government had received credible security intelligence that criminal elements were planning to unleash terror and violence on the public by engaging in armed skirmishes with security agencies around certain schools.
He also said the Ministry of Education would announce the resumption of learning in the institutions upon assessment of the security situation on Wednesday.
