Principal Secretary for Basic Education Julius Bitok has ruled out early closure of schools despite reported cases of student unrest in parts of the country.

Speaking in a presser on Thursday, June 4, 2026, Bitok said the government is monitoring the situation but maintained that disruptions remain limited, with most schools operating normally.

He insisted that learning is continuing in the vast majority of institutions.

“Learning is going on without any interruption in our schools. It’s only about less than 100 schools, or rather, about 80 schools, that we have experienced,” he said.

Controlled situation

He added that the government is confident in its response mechanisms, noting that the situation is under control.

“And the most fatal one was the one with the kids. There’s no other fatal one. But we are on top of things, and I want to assure all the parents that their learners are safe, their children are safe, and they’ll continue learning without any interruption,” Bitok said.

The PS further ruled out any changes to the academic calendar, saying schools will proceed as planned.

“There will be no change on the calendar of the schools, and we are working hard to ensure that we tame and stop the adverse effects,” he added.

School’s inspections

The directives come days after the Ministry of Education ordered a fresh round of inspections in all boarding schools across the country following the deadly dormitory fire at Utumishi Girls Senior Secondary School in Gilgil that claimed 16 lives.

Speaking during an Elimu Mashinani education event in Wajir County on Sunday, May 31, 2026, Bitok announced that education officials had been directed to carry out inspections in all boarding schools over the next 10 days beginning Tuesday, June 2, 2026.

According to Bitok, the exercise will focus on student safety and compliance with established standards.

“We have directed our officers to do very thorough inspections in the next 10 days at all boarding schools to confirm afresh whether they are meeting the safety standards and give recommendations,” Bitok stated.

He warned that school administrators found violating safety regulations would face consequences.

“And we are going to take very serious actions against any principal, any school, any teacher that deliberately violates the safety standards,” he added.