Education Cabinet Secretary(CS) Julius Migos Ogamba has appointed a multi-stakeholder task team to investigate school unrest in Kenya, with the team given 90 days to examine the causes of the disturbances and recommend measures to prevent further incidents.
The appointment, published in a Gazette notice dated October 23, 2026, names Professor Peter Mulwa Mbithi as the chairperson of the team.
“It is notified for the general information of the public that the Cabinet Secretary for Education, in exercise of the powers conferred by the Basic Education Act (Cap. 211), and all other enabling provisions of the law, has appointed a Multi-Stakeholder Task Team on Unrest in Schools (hereinafter referred to as “the Task Team”),” read the notice in part.
The task team will investigate the immediate, underlying and systemic causes of school unrest reported in 2026, review previous reports on the problem and identify gaps in the implementation of earlier recommendations.
Its mandate also covers school fees, uniform costs, boarding school safety, learner welfare, discipline, school governance and the cost of providing education at different levels.
The notice cites the National Disaster Risk Management Act, No. 16 of 2026, as part of the legal framework for the exercise.
CS Ogamba Forms Team to Review Previous School Unrest Reports
The taskforce has been directed to audit previous school unrest reports and determine whether the recommendations were implemented.
It will also investigate the immediate circumstances surrounding the 2026 incidents, alongside the deeper and systemic factors that may contribute to unrest in learning institutions.
The review will examine the influence of social media and smartphones, including misinformation and the role these platforms may play in spreading or encouraging disruptive behaviour.
Other issues identified for investigation include examination pressure, long school terms, the quantity and quality of food provided to learners, gangs, extremism, alcohol and drug abuse, bullying, peer influence, gender-based violence and copycat behaviour.
Its terms of reference further include the quantity and quality of food provided to learners, criminal gangs and religious extremism, alcohol, drug and substance abuse, bullying, peer influence, gender-based violence and copycat behaviour.
The team is expected to consider how these factors interact and identify measures that schools and education authorities can adopt to prevent disturbances.
“The Task Team’s terms of reference shall be to investigate, assess and make recommendations regarding the immediate, underlying, and systemic causes of the 2026 school unrest, taking into account differences by region, school category, gender, age, disability, and boarding status,” the notice read.
School Fees and Uniform Costs Under Scrutiny
The inquiry will examine the cost of education, including school fees, infrastructure requirements and the relationship between school funding, capitation and incidents of unrest.
The team will also assess the affordability of school uniforms, an issue that affects the financial obligations parents and guardians face when sending children to school.
It will review the unit cost of education from pre-primary to senior school, examining the resources required to provide education across the different levels.
At the same time, it will review boarding school models in Kenya, examining how they support the national goals of education against concerns over the concentration of unrest and fatalities in boarding institutions. It will recommend appropriate policies, practices and governance systems for boarding schools.
The team will also assess the cost and affordability of school uniforms and recommend a policy framework for acquiring uniforms.
In addition, it will investigate the relationship between the condition of school infrastructure, household fees, government capitation grants and reported cases of school unrest.
The review will also establish the unit cost of education from pre-primary to senior school and recommend a framework for implementing the findings.
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Safety and Disaster Management
The team will further review school infrastructure and disaster management measures, including whether existing systems adequately protect learners.
They will also evaluate boarding school models to establish whether the current arrangements meet learners’ needs and provide a safe learning environment.
The task team will further examine how schools handle discipline, including the use of transfers and other measures to manage learner behaviour.
It will also review access to counselling, mental health support and chaplaincy services, along with issues involving learners’ health, hygiene and motivation.
The team will assess the complaint mechanisms available to students and consider whether learners have appropriate channels through which to raise concerns before they escalate.
School Governance and Accountability
The taskforce will also examine school governance and accountability, including the responsibilities of school managers and the effectiveness of existing oversight arrangements.
Terms of reference include the terms and conditions of non-teaching staff, an area the team will consider as part of its review of school operations.
The inquiry is expected to identify weaknesses in management and accountability and propose measures to improve school management.
Beyond investigating the causes of unrest, the task team has been directed to recommend practical measures to address the identified problems.
Its recommendations must include costed implementation measures, allowing the government to assess the resources required to put proposed interventions into effect.
The team may also recommend legal reforms where changes to the existing framework are considered necessary.
The recommendations will cover the range of issues outlined in the Gazette notice, including safety and security, learner welfare, education costs, school governance and the prevention of future unrest.
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Public Invited to Submit Views
The task team must invite and consider views from education sector stakeholders and members of the public.
It will determine the number of meetings to hold, as well as the venues and times, depending on what it considers necessary to carry out its mandate. The team will also regulate its own procedures.
The Ministry of Education will provide the secretariat to support the task team’s work. The secretariat will prepare background briefings, compile the team’s reports and disseminate information considered relevant to the investigation.
It will also conduct research and liaise with relevant government departments, institutions and stakeholders in the education sector to gather information needed to inform the team’s work.
The task team will serve for 90 days from the date the notice was published on October 23, 2026.
The team must submit monthly progress reports to the Cabinet Secretary for Education and a final report at the end of its term.
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