A governance and education policy expert has raised alarm over worsening conditions in Kenya’s boarding schools, warning that many institutions are operating beyond safe limits due to overcrowding, weak infrastructure, and poor sanitation that put learners at risk.
Speaking during a Radio Generation interview on Wednesday, Professor Alfred Omenya said some schools are holding more students than their facilities were designed for, a situation he said is affecting safety, dignity, and emergency readiness in boarding institutions.
He noted that the pressure on school infrastructure has grown as enrolment rises, while expansion of dormitories and basic facilities has not kept pace. According to him, this gap has left many schools struggling with space, hygiene, and safe living conditions for learners.
Omenya said the problem is widespread and not limited to a few schools, pointing to a system where safety standards are either weak or poorly enforced across the boarding education sector.
Drawing from his own experience, he revealed that he once withdrew his son from a national school after discovering the state of the dormitories and living conditions.
He made the decision after he was allowed access to the school’s facilities while serving as a representative of parents on the institution’s board. Before that, he said parents were not allowed into student accommodation areas, limiting their understanding of what learners go through.
“There were triple-deckers in a national school. There was no space between the beds, so one boy could roll from one end to the other. There was basically no space to keep the student boxes, so they were kept on the short side of the bed facing the corridor,” he narrated.
He described the situation as one where overcrowding had taken away basic privacy and personal space for students, turning dormitories into tightly packed living areas that do not support proper rest or comfort.
According to him, what he witnessed reflected a broader challenge facing many boarding schools across the country, where rising student numbers have not been matched with expanded housing and facilities.
“What we are seeing is that the government has really increased the number of kids in schools and looks the other side in terms of the adequacy of the facilities. Dormitories that were supposed to house 40 or 50 children are now housing far more students than they were designed for,” he highlighted.
His remarks come just days after the Utumishi Girls Academy fire tragedy that claimed 16 lives and left 79 students injured, an incident that has renewed scrutiny on safety standards in boarding schools.
Concerns have also been raised in past investigations, including in Gilgil, where issues such as overcrowding and limited escape routes were linked to the scale of damage during a dormitory fire.
Kenya’s boarding schools have repeatedly faced crises over the years, including the 2001 Kyanguli Secondary School dormitory fire that killed 67 students and the 1991 St. Kizito School tragedy that claimed 19 lives during unrest.
Beyond fires and unrest, Omenya said recurring strikes and arson incidents point to deeper structural and welfare challenges that remain unresolved in many institutions.
He also questioned whether some boarding schools still offer living conditions that match what families expect in modern learning environments.
“The quality of life that some children have at home is actually far superior to what they find in boarding school. Basic things such as adequate space, privacy, and proper living conditions are lacking in many places,” Omenya highlighted.
He called on parents to take a more active role in inspecting boarding facilities and urged authorities to rethink how the boarding school system is managed and monitored.
“We should storm all boarding schools in this country and assess those facilities for ourselves. We have a very bad situation,” he stressed.
Omenya further urged urgent reforms to improve safety, sanitation, and accommodation standards, saying learners should be placed in environments that support both learning and overall wellbeing.
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