Boarding schools facing closure given four-week deadline to comply

Visa Oshwal is one of the schools in Nairobi marked for closure for violating Ministry of Health's boarding saftey regulations. [File, Standard]

The Ministry of Education has given a four weeks’ reprieve to primary schools whose boarding sections were marked for closure, to comply.

Kenya Private Schools Association said that they have been negotiating with the ministry regarding the planned closure.

“We have held discussions with the Ministry of Education and the institutions and they are addressing the gaps identified during the audit and they will be reassessed before January for compliance,” said Kenya Private Schools Association chairman Charles Ochome.

He said the schools whose boarding sections are set to be shut have until January to meet safety and compliance standards.

"They have been given a lifeline of four weeks to address identified shortcomings, allowing them to salvage their boarding operations," he said.

READ: Govt orders closure of 348 primary school boarding sections

The decision comes amid uncertainty for parents, who must explore alternative arrangements as schools prepare to reopen on January 6.

Ochome told The Standard that schools, which had been earmarked for closure, will be permitted to operate as boarding institutions if they address the issues highlighted in a Ministry of Education audit.

He was speaking at the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) on Wednesday during the close of a two-day engagement forum of the Kenya Primary School Heads Association that began on Tuesday.

Among the deficiencies identified were the absence of fire extinguishers and inadequate entry and exit points.

Ochome further said that institutions that fail to comply within the stipulated grace period– four weeks– will have to operate as day schools.

“We hope that the majority of the institutions will have complied by January before reopening but those that will still need time will reopen as day schools and those in the boarding section will seek alternatives. This will be communicated early to the parents,” Ochome said.

This is even as some schools marked for closure complained that they were unfairly targeted and no inspection was conducted before the closure order.

On November 27, the Ministry of Education ordered the closure of boarding facilities in 348 primary schools, citing gross violations of safety regulations. 

Basic Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang said that the schools had failed to comply with the Safety Standards for Basic Education Institutions following an assessment conducted in September and October 2024.

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The assessment was prompted by a dormitory fire at Hill Side Endarasha Academy in Nyeri County in September, which claimed 21 lives and caused significant injuries and property damage.

The incident shone the spotlight on the haphazard implementation of school safety regulations as it emerged that some schools operate outside the set guidelines and standards.

During the audit, Nairobi was found to have the highest number of affected schools, with 44 institutions slated for closure.

Other affected counties include Kisii with 13 schools, Kiambu with 13, Kericho with 26, Nandi with 15, and Uasin Gishu with 19.

The government has directed the schools to operate as day schools beginning January 2025 unless they meet the outlined safety standards. 

In Nairobi, affected schools include Visa Oshwal, Thika Road Primary, Jonathan Gloag, Don Bosco Primary School, St Anna's Preparatory School, and Happy Land Acade.