The nationwide matatu strike triggered by soaring fuel prices plunged Kenya’s education sector deeper into crisis Tuesday, disrupting learning in schools, colleges and universities..
This has left thousands of learners stranded at home as transport systems ground to a halt.
Across major towns and rural centres, the familiar morning rhythm of pupils rushing through school gates, buses and teachers preparing them was replaced by silence, uncertainty and deserted classrooms.
At Moi Primary School, gates remained open, but classrooms sat cold and nearly empty as only a handful of learners managed to report.
Many parents who had attempted to take their children to school were later forced to pick them up after transport completely collapsed.
“We had taken the children in the morning hoping all would be well, but I have been called to pick him back,” said Monica Awinja, a frustrated parent outside the school gates.
“This situation is becoming unbearable because we are paying fees, transport and food, yet the children are not learning.”
The crisis, entering its second day on Tuesday, has taken a heavy toll on the education sector, with learners estimated to have lost more than 16 lessons within two days alone.
In many public schools, administrators opted to suspend learning entirely over fears of violence witnessed in several towns and because both learners and teachers could not access schools safely.
At the Thika School for the Blind, turnout was almost non-existent as vulnerable learners were cut off completely from transport networks.
“The silence here is painful. These learners rely heavily on structured transport and assistance. Without movement, education simply stops,” said one school official.
The disruption exposed how deeply dependent schools are on the country’s transport system, particularly for day scholars who form the majority in public institutions.
Parents lamented that the strike had placed a massive financial burden on households already struggling with the rising cost of living.
“You pay tuition, transport and meals, then your child spends the day at home doing nothing. It is wastage and emotional stress for both parents and learners,” said James Mwangi, whose two children attend a private school in Kiambu.
Private schools attempted to cushion themselves from the crisis by shifting to online learning. Several institutions advised day scholars to remain home while boarders continued with lessons inside school compounds.
“Those on school transport, we communicated to parents to leave them at home as we continue monitoring the situation,” said one head teacher at a Nairobi private school.
Another school administrator warned that prolonged closure would severely affect academic calendars.
“If we continue staying at home, by the time we go to third term we will not have covered what we are supposed to cover. Education is a serious sector,” the principal said.
The ripple effects spread to institutions of higher learning, with universities and colleges postponing examinations and lectures after students and invigilators failed to report.
Several international schools also rescheduled ongoing examinations, citing lack of reliable transport and security concerns.
The Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association warned that repeated interruptions to learning were threatening curriculum coverage and learner performance.
“Continued protests interfere with the learning programs of schools. This sometimes forces schools to look for ways of covering the lessons lost through remedial or long hours teaching,” said Kuria.
National Parents Association chairman Silas Obuhatsa now fears the prolonged fuel crisis and transport paralysis could reverse gains made after schools reopened from the April holidays barely three weeks ago.
“Parents carry a heavy burden on strikes as either teachers, parents or as administrators. This strains their pockets and time,” he said.