Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba has announced that the school calendar will be revised from next year as the government moves to address the recent wave of unrest reported in boarding schools across the country.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, Ogamba said the Ministry of Education had reached the decision following consultations within government and among key stakeholders.
“Starting next academic year, the Ministry shall rationalize the school calendar to ensure balanced terms across the school year,” Ogamba announced.
The announcement came as the ministry revealed that it had received reports of unrest in 204 senior schools nationwide, although most institutions remain stable.
“From our analysis of reports across the country, less than 2% of the country’s senior schools have been affected by unrest, meaning that over 98% of schools remain stable and continue normal operations,” the CS said.
He noted that the disturbances have largely been confined to boarding institutions.
“Most of the schools affected are boarding senior schools. Day senior schools are largely not affected,” he stated.
According to Ogamba, the incidents have led to loss of lives, injuries and destruction of school property, disrupting learning in several institutions.
The CS singled out the recent tragedy at Utumishi Girls Academy in Gilgil, where 16 learners died in a dormitory fire.
“Investigations have since established that the fire was an act of arson orchestrated by some learners. Nine suspects have already been arraigned and are remanded in custody,” he said.
While condemning the unrest, Ogamba maintained that grievances raised by learners must be addressed through lawful channels.
“Whatever grievances learners may have, there can never be justification for causing death and destroying property. Any grievances must only be addressed through appropriate channels without resorting to unlawful actions or violence,” he said.
The ministry’s preliminary review identified several factors contributing to the unrest, including leadership challenges, examination pressure, poor boarding conditions, drug and substance abuse, demanding school routines and peer influence.
“The unrest appears to be driven by a variety of factors, including leadership challenges in institutions; learner anxiety and examination-related stress; poor school conditions, especially in boarding sections; alcohol and drug abuse; strenuous school routines; peer influence and copycat behavior,” Ogamba stated.
To tackle the challenge, the ministry will establish a multi-sector team to investigate the root causes and recommend solutions.
“We shall be forming a multi-stakeholder team to review the causes of unrest and make recommendations on strategies for stemming the challenge,” he announced.
The CS also confirmed that the Second Term mid-term break will proceed as planned from June 24 to June 28, 2026, urging parents to use the period to engage with their children.
“Parents and guardians are urged to use the break to spend time with their children and to provide guidance and support to them,” he said.
At the same time, schools have been directed to convene Parents Association meetings, strengthen safety measures, intensify guidance and counselling programmes and improve learner grievance-handling systems.
“Schools shall strengthen safety measures and address any concerns and grievances that learners may have raised. Schools shall also intensify guidance and counselling programmes and strengthen learner-grievance handling mechanisms,” the statement read.
County and Sub-County Education Offices have also been tasked with conducting targeted safety audits and monitoring institutions deemed to be at risk.
Despite the challenges, Ogamba commended learners, teachers, school heads and parents for maintaining stability in the vast majority of schools and called for collective responsibility in safeguarding the country’s education system.
