Team closes 147 schools on Coast in crackdown

The government has so far closed down 147 private primary and secondary schools and over 10 owners of the institutions arrested in the Coast region for accommodating learners in dilapidated and dangerous learning facilities.

Majority of the teachers in the affected schools were also found to be untrained.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Education on the ongoing crackdown, 20 untrained teachers and proprietors of some of the affected schools were arrested, and will be arraigned today.

Police are also looking for those who escaped their dragnet during the crackdown.

A multi-agency team comprising officials from the Education ministry and its Interior and Coordination of National Security counterpart have been conducting sting operations in Kwale, Mombasa, Kilifi, Tana River and Lamu counties to ensure safety of learners in all public and private primary and secondary schools.

Coast Regional Education Coordinator, Hassan Duale, said the operation will intensify throughout the region to get rid of the dangerous facilities.

Mr Duale termed the closed institutions as crime scenes.

“No one should access the places until investigations are over. This operation will continue until we close down all unregistered learning institutions whose structures pose health and safety risks to our learners,” said Mr Duale.

He promised candidates awaiting to sit for the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education that they will not be affected by the operation.

All candidates from the closed institutions have been placed in nearby schools. Some of the affected schools include the Journey of Hope Academy, which had 98 pupils.

“When we engaged with the management of the institution, the proprietor took off, none of the teachers is trained, the pupils also lack textbooks,” Mr Duale said.

In one room, the multi-agency team reportedly found five different classes congested in one.