From dorm fires to street protests; how a decade of school unrest shaped youth dissent

For over a decade, school unrest has become the signature way students express their anger and frustrations with school authorities in Kenya. 

What started as isolated cases of protest has now grown into a deeply rooted culture of defiance that often ends in violence and destruction. 

Critics call it student notoriety, a worrying sign of moral decay among the youth.

Some education stakeholders are even calling for the return of corporal punishment to tame what they see as a generation gone rogue. 

Yet, others argue that the unrest reflects wider frustrations in society—frustrations now spilling onto the streets as young people rise against government excesses.

Experts point to striking similarities between the two, including use of social media for mobilisation and frustration with authority.

On Wednesday last week, the country once again witnessed a wave of protest in commemoration of one year since the invasion of parliament by protesters against the Finance Bill 2024; which widely was later branded as GenZ protest and movement.

The name of the protest was acquired from the critical mass of those who were heavily involved in the protest in the initial days and were instrumental in the mobilisation and organising the anti-government protest.

READ: ="https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/national/article/2001523052/gen-z-revolt-the-tragedy-of-a-nation" title="Gen Z Revolt: The tragedy of a nation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gen Z Revolt: The tragedy of a nation<

Generation Z is described as the group of people who were born between the late 1990s and the early 2010s, who are regarded as being very familiar with the internet.

And various stakeholders now argue that protest is not a new phenomenon to the generation as a way of expressing their disgruntlement.

Various Educators interviewed by the Standard argue that a good number of those now described as Generation Z and millennials were in school during the troubled and periodic waves of school unrest that plagued schools in the past decade and led to a national debate in 2016.

The phenomenon of school unrest characterised by secondary school students going on rampage, boycotting classes, and burning down of dormitories and other facilities.

And this was widely witnessed in the period between 2010 and 2021.
Various stakeholders view striking similarities between the current wave of protest and school riots.

Arguably, various stakeholders indicate that the age bracket of those taking part in the recent protest were in secondary school during the rampant school unrest period between 2013 and 2021.

“There was a clip circulating of Langata Road Primary School learners who were tear gassed in 2015 as they took part in a protest demanding back a section of their school land was allegedly grabbed, they were protesting, and these are the same kids who are now demanding accountability from the government,” Janet Ouko Muthoni an educationist said.

Muthoni argues that the Gen Z revolt is part of a movement that was born in schools towards the end of the 20th century.

“This is the period that the country witnessed a surge in school unrest, in 1991 there was a deadly attack in one of the secondary schools that saw the loss of lives and some female students sexually violated and from there things continued to escalate,” Muthoni said.

Mike Kuria, the Kenya Secondary School Heads Association chairman also pointed to some stark similarities between the recent anti finance bill protests and plague of school unrest that rocked the country in the last decade.

ALSO READ: ="https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/article/2001522988/reforms-or-brutal-crackdown-how-gen-z-revolt-puts-kenya-at-turning-point" title="Reforms or brutal crackdown? How Gen Z revolt puts Kenya at turning point" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reforms or brutal crackdown? How Gen Z revolt puts Kenya at turning point<

Kuria who doubles as Murang’a High School Principal explains that mobilisation of school unrest just like the Anti-Finance Bill protest was largely done through the use of mobile phones.

For the Anti Finance bill protest in 2024 it was through social media mobilisation otherwise known as digital activism, where social media users hyped support and mobilised participation in the protest.

In some instances, young social media personalities were questioned on where they stand on the Finance Bill matter.

Similarly, a report looking into the issue of school unrest in 2008, found rampant use of phones by students allegedly used for mobilisation and peer influence.

Determined to arrest the situation, the Minister for Education listed a ban on cell phone use in schools; removal of videos and DVDs from school buses; the expulsion of student culprits; and belatedly; a ban on extra tuition.

The measures sought to stem the tide of the unrest but the measures were largely seen as a knee-jerk reaction that did not really address the causes of the strikes.

“When Matiang’i set up a team to look into the issue of school unrest, it was found that learners were sneaking in phones in schools that were used for incitement and even coordinates of the arson activities,” Kuria said.

Further, the acts of rebelliousness in schools and the recent protests not only lead to destruction of property and in extreme cases injuries and death.In schools, past bloody episodes, which, though rare, have

not only caused pain, loss and destruction but also the learning losses, expulsion of some studentsIn 1991, male students in a mixed

high school invaded the girls' dormitory and raped more than 70 girls. At least 19 female students lost their lives during the horrific incident.

In another incident in 1999, a group of male students locked up four prefects in their cubicles at night and doused them in petrol, killing them instantly.

The worst calamity was in 2001 when 68 students were burnt to death and scores injured after their dormitory was set on fire by two boys who petrol bombed the school.

In 2006 a mass rape again occurred against schoolgirls, this time approximately 15 girls were raped as other students staged a protest march in the middle of the night

Most recent incidents documented were in 2013, 2016, 2018 and 2021, where schools witnessed rampant cases of school unrest.

Data collected by the Ministry of Education and tabled in Parliament shows that 86 school dormitories were burnt during the wave of school riots in 2018.

Similar incidents of violence were witnessed in the recent protests, in Nairobi, Moi Avenue street, two supermarkets witnessed destruction after a section of goons within the protest took advantage to break into the stores.

The anti-Finance Bill protests also led to loss of dozens of lives with the most shocking incident taking place on June 25 when police opened fire on protesters after breaking into Parliament buildings.

The aftermath saw eight people fatally shot according to various reports.

The good news however is that the incidents, though questionable and bloody in some instances, have influenced some changes in the education sector and now in government.

Several task forces have come up with detailed recommendations on how to address these problems.

Some of the recommendations include strategies to enhance dialogue between parents, teachers and students, engagement of guidance and counseling professionals in schools and motivational talks.

In 2016, the ministry of Education then under CS Fred Matiangi set up a taskforce to look into the issue of school unrest.

Interventions were made that led to elimination of the high stake Mock examinations that took place in the second term.

In an attempt to put an end to the riots, the then Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i directed school heads not to admit learners transferring from schools destroyed due to unrest.

The CS said that all students seeking transfers must obtain clearance letters from sub-county director of education to ascertain that they did not participate in the destruction of their schools.

The CS also announced that parents in schools that had experienced riots will have to fund the repair of schools destroyed by their children.

The acts of rebelliousness not only lead to destruction of property but also the learning losses, expulsion of some students and in extreme cases injuries and death.

Research has revealed that the underlying cause of recurrence of student unrests and violence is as a result of the convergence of many factors finding expression in second term for various reasons.

The research also ranked fear of exams as one of the major reasons for the secondary schools riots mostly witnessed in second term.

The high stakes put on the final Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education(KCSE) considered key to overall life success hence causing anxiety among candidates.

A preliminary audit report on the causes of riots in schools by the Ministry of Education in 2016 further found inadequate quantity or quality of food, drug use in schools, aggressiveness by student leaders(prefects), school administrative styles and corporal punishment as other reasons stirring up riots in school.

Janet Muthoni Ouko terms school riots as a cry for help from students over the poor conditions mainly in boarding schools.

However, she challenges the abrasive government response to both school unrest and anti-government protest.

“Remember, in 2016 the Ministry of Education then under CS Fred Matiang’i said that those found to plan school riots will be treated as criminals, this repeated itself when the President addressed the Nation after protesters entered parliament in June,” Muthoni.

Such response, Education expert Emmanuel Manyasa says, leads to tension build up and escalations in disagreements between those in authority and the aggrieved.

“Violence begets violence, when students go on strike and instead of the issues raised being addressed they are scolded, it angers them a bit more and being teenagers, they are prone to impulsive reactions,” Manyasa said in an interview.

Peter Njagi Kumantha, a consultant psychologist and former head of Mathari hospital sees the cases of indiscipline in schools as a cry for help from children burdened by stressors that are leading to the breakdown of their coping mechanisms.

Similarly, Kumantha indicates that similar attributes are expressed by those taking part in the recent wake of protests in the country.