The Education Ministry has reiterated that schools must adhere to official learning hours, warning that institutions asking pupils to report before 8:00 am will face consequences.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba on Wednesday said the directive is aimed at protecting children and ensuring compliance with established school schedules.
The reminder comes after Kisii Woman Representative Dorice Donya raised alarm over the dangers faced by pupils leaving home in the dark, especially in areas with high defilement rates.
“I come from Kisii, where we have high rates of defilement. These children are on the road by 4:30 am. There is no electricity, and we have so many bushes, meaning we have given our girls to the world. At 4:30 am, are they studying for PhDs?” Donya said.
Donya urged the ministry to issue a clear circular reinforcing that children should not leave home before 6:00 am.
“When they report to school and don’t honour the circular, then something must be done to those schools. The way it has been before, when they were told schools must have yellow buses and everything was in order,” she added.
She warned that she plans to personally follow up in Kisii with more evidence if no corrective action is taken.
“The CS must act; he must be tough. In fact, next week I’m going to Kisii, if I bring more photos of children going to school, something has to be done from Waziri’s office. It is not a walk in the park; it is very bad for our young girls who have to go to school at 4:30 am. Are they doing master's?”
Responding to these concerns, CS Ogamba acknowledged that some schools have been forcing pupils to arrive too early, contrary to ministry rules.
“We have a regulation policy, school begins at 8:00 am and closes at 3:00 pm for classes. These are the official hours set by the ministry, and circulars have been issued to that effect. Any institution operating outside these hours is acting against ministry guidelines,” he said.
Ogamba added that violators will face consequences, with disciplinary measures considered individually for each school.
“We, as the ministry, undertake to work with all other government agencies to ensure that the circular on school hours is enforced. Serious administrative action will be taken against any institution that violates it so that we can restore order in our schools with respect to learning time,” he said.
Transport and Roads Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen also expressed concern about children traveling too early. While speaking in Kisii County on September 12, he warned of the dangers pupils face on early journeys.
“In some instances, children are being defiled on their way to school. Some schools require children to be in school by 6:00 am, and you find them leaving their homes around 4:00 am or 5:00 am. This is unacceptable and against the rules that govern our education system,” Murkomen said.