A school health and safety consultant has linked the recent unrest in Kenyan secondary schools to wider social and parenting failures, saying students are increasingly reflecting behaviours they observe at home and in society, even as schools struggle to contain a growing pattern of disruption.
Dr. Njoki Fernandes says many learners involved in the incidents are still too young to fully understand the weight of their actions, especially when it comes to consequences such as arrest, school closure, injuries or even loss of life. She argues that impulsive behaviour among adolescents is becoming more visible as unrest spreads from one school to another.
Speaking on Friday during a Radio Generation interview on Friday, Dr. Fernandes, an obstetrician-gynaecologist, university lecturer, and mother of five, said the current wave of unrest has moved beyond isolated cases and is now taking the shape of a pattern across learning institutions.
“What started in one school now has become a wave, a wave that is now almost ridiculous,” she highlighted, suggesting that some learners view disruption as the quickest route to being sent home.
Dr. Fernandes remarks comes shortly few days after a wave of student unrest disrupting learning in several Kenyan secondary schools, with incidents ranging from dormitory fires to protests over school management and examinations.
Among the affected institutions are Utumishi Girls Academy, Alliance High School, St George’s Girls, Lenana School, Loreto Limuru, Naivasha Girls, Nakuru Girls, Lang’ata High School, Ingotse Boys and Tarakwa High School, among others. Several of these schools have since sent learners home indefinitely as investigations continue.
Following the deadly Utumishi Girls fire on May 28, 2026 that killed 16 students, nine learners have been arrested and detained as authorities probe the circumstances surrounding the incident.
However, Basic Education Principal Secretary Julius Bitokon Thursday, ruled out an early mid-term break, even as the government steps up investigations, school safety audits, counselling programmes and enforcement of boarding school safety regulations.
Going further, Dr. Fernandes dismissed arguments that academic pressure and examinations are the main cause of the unrest, instead calling for stronger engagement between parents and children to address behaviour before it escalates.
She maintained that schools are dealing with reflections of wider societal challenges, where values at home and in public spaces shape how learners respond to conflict and authority.
“These children are a mirror of our society. We’ve just loaned them to the school for an education, but they’ve come from homes,” she stressed.
She questioned whether parents consistently model values such as honesty, integrity and respect for others, saying children often copy what they see from adults in everyday life.
“If they see you on the street throwing stones and burning cars, they know this is how to solve problems,” she added.
Dr. Fernandes also raised concern over how some parents respond when schools report misconduct, noting that some quickly defend their children instead of addressing the behaviour raised by teachers.
Reflecting on the dormitory tragedy, she questioned how teenagers could reach a point where they allegedly planned and carried out actions capable of causing deaths among fellow students.
She added that the impact of such incidents extends far beyond those accused, affecting grieving families, injured survivors, traumatised learners and parents now facing uncertain futures.
“You’re the one left carrying your child after everything has happened,” she concluded.