Political activist Fanya Mambo has criticised the government for failing to issue a formal notice to all schools within the Central Business District (CBD) and other places where Saba Saba protests were prevalent.

Speaking during a popular podcast aired on Tuesday, July 8, 2025, Mambo expressed concern over how schoolchildren were exposed to chaos on their way to school, with some forced to walk through streets where fires had been lit and injured protesters lay by the roadside.

 He pointed out that some students had to navigate through scenes of unrest, including inhaling tear gas, which posed a serious risk to their safety and mental well-being.

“Remember the scenes we saw yesterday, and there was a young child who had to go through it as they headed to school, or the school bus driver who is in charge of 20 to 30 young lives and has to go through that fire,” Fanya Mambo said.

Mambo condemned the government’s directive that schools and businesses proceed with normal operations despite the protests.

He argued that the move showed a disregard for the safety of children, noting that such conditions were not suitable for learning or safe transit.

He urged the government to consider declaring a day off for schools during such situations, not out of fear, but as a demonstration of responsibility and care for the lives of children.

According to him, exposing minors to violence and unrest could result in long-term psychological trauma.

“It’s incumbent upon government anytime there is such a threat to quickly declare that it is not a school day, not because governments are cowards but because they are protectors of life,” he added.

Advise to school heads

Mambo also called on school heads to exercise their discretion in the future, even if it means going against government directives.

He praised private schools that chose to inform parents not to send their children to school during the unrest, saying they prioritised safety over compliance, a decision he believes all school leaders should be prepared to make in similar situations.

“Heads of institutions, sometimes you make decisions on your feet and tell the Ministry of Education that we shall fight later, like what private schools did,” he stated.