The growing wave of school arson attacks in Taita Taveta County has prompted calls for urgent reforms to the Basic Education Act, with administrators seeking greater powers to intervene during emergencies in schools without having to wait for approval.
Speaking during the 63rd Madaraka Day celebrations in Mwatate, Deputy County Commissioner Kennedy Lwenyi urged lawmakers to review the law and provide security agencies and local administrators with a clearer mandate to respond swiftly whenever crises occur in learning institutions.
Lwenyi said the current legal framework limits the ability of administrators to act quickly when incidents such as fires break out in schools, even when lives and property are at risk.
The call comes against the backdrop of a worrying trend of school unrest in Taita Taveta County, where at least 13 secondary schools have experienced fires or attempted arson attacks during the second term of this year.
Among the affected institutions are Mahoo Girls, Eldoro Girls Secondary, Chala Secondary, Timbila Boys High School, Dr Aggrey High School, St Mary’s Boys High School-Tusunboyi, Mwasere Girls High School and Kenyatta High School. The incidents have destroyed dormitories and other facilities, disrupting learning for more than eight thousand students across the county.
According to the DCC, investigations indicate that the fires were not acts of spontaneous rebellion by students but carefully planned operations.
Lwenyi questioned how schools in different parts of the county could experience similar incidents almost simultaneously, saying the pattern points to organised planning behind the destruction.
He revealed that investigations into the recent fire at Mwasere Girls High School uncovered a chilling plot that could have led to one of the country’s worst school tragedies.
According to investigators, a group of fewer than ten students had allegedly planned to set a dormitory ablaze while Grade Ten students were asleep inside. However, the plan failed after the intended targets had already left for morning preps before the fire was started.
"Students who set fire to dormitories are committing acts of terror"~ Mwatate DCC Kennedy Lwenyi#KBCniYetu pic.twitter.com/T6BmIehoU7
— KBC Channel 1 News (@KBCChannel1) June 2, 2026
The administrator warned that authorities are treating the incidents with utmost seriousness, noting that several suspects have already been arrested and arraigned in court.
He also urged parents to take a more active role in monitoring their children, saying many learners display completely different behaviour at school from what they show at home.
His sentiments were echoed by Mwatate Secondary School Principal Florence Mwang’ombe, who said parents should not assume that good behaviour at home automatically translates to good conduct in school.
Mwang’ombe said student often presented different personalities depending on their environment. She called on parents to work closely with teachers and respond promptly whenever schools raise concerns about their children.
Also speaking during the celebrations, Kenya Medical Research Institute Scientist Dr Charles Mwandawiro condemned the destruction of school property, saying the trend threatens the future of education in the county.
The Kenyatta High School alumnus expressed disappointment that one of the region’s most respected schools had become a victim of the unrest, and challenged students to focus on learning instead of destroying facilities meant to support their education.
