By Dr. Timothy Ombati Mokua
School fires and violent strikes are rarely isolated acts of random indiscipline; they are the tragic, visible symptoms of deep-seated systemic failures within learning institutions.
When students are subjected to environments marked by chronic hunger, severe congestion, poor sanitation, and emotional neglect, a volatile undercurrent of frustration builds continuously over time.
The resulting unrest should therefore be viewed not merely as a disciplinary problem but as a warning sign of broader institutional weaknesses that demand urgent attention.
Theoretical Lens: Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Understanding learner volatility requires a structured framework, and Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs provides an important starting point.
Within the educational ecosystem, the theory serves strictly as a diagnostic tool for understanding learner instability, unintentional dependency, and the gradual erosion of judgment that can occur when basic needs remain unmet.
Maslow argued that physiological and safety needs form the foundation upon which healthy development is built.
In schools where students face nutritional deficiencies, overcrowded dormitories, poor sanitation, insecurity, and emotional neglect, chronic psychological fatigue can emerge and destabilize the learning environment.
However, it is essential to emphasize that such vulnerabilities can never be distorted into excuses for criminal conduct.
Poor administration is a failure of governance, but the deliberate targeting of fellow learners and the destruction of life and property through arson remain individual moral failures that demand unwavering criminal accountability.
Key Drivers of School Volatility
One of the most significant drivers of unrest is dehumanizing leadership and discipline.
Fear-based authoritarian structures, excessive punishment, and the refusal to listen to student voices often breed resentment, alienation, and rebellion.
Students who feel unheard may eventually resort to destructive means of expression.
Infrastructure neglect compounds the problem. Overcrowded dormitories, poor hygiene, faulty electrical installations, inadequate fire-prevention systems, and limited emergency preparedness significantly increase the likelihood that grievances will escalate into tragedy.
The lessons contained in the Wangai Report, commissioned after previous waves of school unrest in Kenya, remain highly relevant today.
The report established critical safety standards, including the need for ungrilled windows and outward-opening doors to facilitate rapid evacuation during emergencies. Yet many institutions continue to fall short of these requirements.
Equally concerning is the emotional and psychological vacuum present in many schools. The absence of effective counseling services, communication channels, mentorship structures, and parental engagement leaves students vulnerable to peer pressure, anxiety, and unhealthy coping mechanisms.
The wider society also plays a significant role. This reality is best explained through Albert Bandura’s Social Learning Theory, which holds that individuals learn behaviors by observing and imitating others.
Students do not exist in isolation; they absorb lessons from the social and political environment around them. When they witness public lawlessness, destructive protests, property damage, and unpunished criminality among adults, some may internalize these actions as acceptable methods of expressing dissatisfaction.
At the domestic level, weak discipline structures and diminished parental oversight further undermine respect for authority. Schools are often left to address behavioral challenges whose roots lie beyond the classroom, stretching institutional capacity and weakening efforts to nurture responsible citizenship.
The Solution: A Multidimensional Strategic Framework
Preventing institutional unrest requires a shift away from reactive policing and toward a proactive, dignity-centered framework. Effective reform must simultaneously address physical security, psychological well-being, community engagement, and the rule of law.
Pillar 1: Structural and Physical Safety Enhancements
The first step is strengthening physical safety infrastructure. Dormitories should be decongested to reduce risks associated with overcrowding.
Schools must ensure compliance with emergency safety standards, including outward-opening doors and unobstructed windows consistent with recommendations contained in the Wangai Report.
Independent audits of electrical systems, fire-prevention equipment, and emergency preparedness protocols should be conducted at least quarterly.
In addition, schools should undertake mandatory and unannounced fire and evacuation drills every term to ensure that both learners and staff understand emergency procedures and can respond effectively when disasters occur.
Pillar 2: Psychosocial Support and Participatory Governance
Physical safety alone cannot eliminate unrest. Schools must also address the psychological and emotional needs of learners.
This requires a transition from punitive and authoritarian leadership models to humane, collaborative, and participatory governance structures. Open student forums should be institutionalized to provide legitimate channels through which learners can express concerns and participate in problem-solving.
Similarly, disciplinary committees focused primarily on punishment should be complemented by wellness departments, professional counseling services, peer-support systems, and mentorship programs. Students are more likely to respect institutions that demonstrate care and fairness.
Sports, arts, music, drama, and clubs should be revitalized as constructive outlets for stress, creativity, and personal growth. Strong tripartite partnerships among schools, parents, communities, and government agencies should also be cultivated, with dialogue and mutual understanding replacing confrontation and suspicion.
Pillar 3: Absolute Legal and Individual Accountability
While sociological theories may explain dissatisfaction, they do not excuse criminal behavior. Arson, violence, and destruction of property are deliberate choices that carry legal consequences.
Rights exist to protect minors from systemic abuse and exploitation, but they do not provide immunity from culpability. A distinction must therefore be maintained between understanding why misconduct occurs and holding individuals accountable when they commit serious offences.
Differentiating Protection from Felony Immunity
Juvenile justice systems are designed to protect young people from abuse within the criminal justice process. However, they cannot treat premeditated arson, murder, or serious violence as mere disciplinary lapses.
Where clear criminal intent is established, custodial rehabilitation and structured offender-tracking mechanisms become necessary. The law must communicate that accountability remains essential even while safeguarding the rights and welfare of minors.
Accountability should also extend beyond student offenders. Administrators whose negligence contributes to loss of life—for example through locked emergency exits, ignored safety warnings, or failure to implement mandatory standards—should face prosecution alongside perpetrators. Parents, too, should bear appropriate financial liability where warranted, reinforcing the importance of behavioral supervision and parental responsibility.
Conditional Re-Entry Audits
Serious offences should trigger rigorous post-conviction reviews before offenders are reintegrated into institutions of higher learning or corporate environments.
Automatic record-clearing at the age of 18 should not necessarily apply to major felonies involving significant harm to persons or property.
Such cases may require psychiatric evaluations, behavioral audits, and structured assessments to protect both institutions and the public.
The Operational Bottlenecks of Juvenile Prosecution
Even where accountability is pursued, practical obstacles often hinder the administration of justice. Strict penal policies frequently collide with protective juvenile frameworks, creating systemic friction that slows prosecutions and weakens outcomes.
One challenge is the placement dilemma. School arson cases frequently require extensive forensic verification, technical analysis, witness examination, and legal scrutiny.
As proceedings drag on, authorities must decide whether to remand suspects—risking exposure to hardened offenders—or release them, potentially generating public anxiety and hostility.
Another challenge concerns evidentiary preservation. Legal precedents increasingly underscore the importance of safeguarding evidence such as CCTV footage, digital records, and witness statements.
Delays in investigations can compromise the integrity of evidence, weaken prosecutions, and ultimately frustrate justice.
Examination and Right-to-Education Friction
A particularly difficult legal tension arises between constitutional rights and public safety considerations. Every child has a constitutional right to education and to sit national examinations.
However, when serious criminal trials coincide with examination periods, authorities are forced to balance these rights against the need to maintain security, preserve public confidence, and protect victims.
This may require extraordinary measures such as high-security examination centres, supervised transport, or armed escorts.
While necessary, such arrangements can disrupt learning environments and create additional burdens for educational institutions and justice agencies alike.
Strategic Demoralization and Jurisdictional Aging
Judicial delays present another significant obstacle. Prolonged proceedings often result in witness fatigue, fading memories, evidence deterioration, and the dispersal of classmates through graduation or relocation.
In some instances, suspects age out of juvenile jurisdiction before cases are concluded, creating legal complexities that may undermine accountability.
This challenge has become increasingly significant in discussions surrounding juvenile justice.
When cases remain unresolved for years, procedural delays may inadvertently reward obstructionist tactics, weaken prosecutions, and erode public confidence in the justice system.
Courts must therefore continue balancing constitutional safeguards with the broader public interest in accountability, safety, and effective administration of justice.
Conclusion: Discipline Through Dignity
Students thrive in environments that are safe, respectful, and hopeful. Discipline must be built through dignity, not broken spirits.
The lessons of Maslow remind us that unmet needs create vulnerabilities; the insights of Bandura demonstrate how behavior is learned from society; the recommendations of the Wangai Report underscore the importance of safety infrastructure; and evolving legal precedents highlight the delicate balance between constitutional rights and public protection.
Schools must become sanctuaries of holistic growth, combining strong leadership, safe infrastructure, psychological support, parental involvement, and firm accountability.
Only by addressing both the systemic causes of unrest and the individual responsibility for criminal acts can Kenya build learning institutions that are secure, dignified, and conducive to the development of responsible citizens.
– Dr. Ombati Timothy Mokua is a former County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Health Services in Nyamira County, a Health Systems Strengthening Expert, and a Civic Educator.