The government on Wednesday, July 19 evening announced the re-opening of day schools in Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu following anti-government protests.
In a statement to newsrooms, Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu ordered the institutions to reopen on Thursday, July 20 despite the ongoing protests.
According to a joint statement released on Wednesday, July 19, Interior CS Kithure Kindiki and his Education counterpart Ezekiel Machogu announced that the government had put in place adequate measures to guarantee the safety of learners and their schools across the country
“The government has now undertaken an evaluation of the current security situation in various parts of the country including in Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu counties and adequate measures have been taken to guarantee the safety and security of learners and their schools across the country,” reads the statement in part.
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Moreover, the government had ordered for the closure of all day primary and secondary schools in Nairobi, Mombasa, and Kisumu on Tuesday, July 18.
Azimio la Umoja One Kenya’s protests are set to go on for three consecutive days starting Wednesday, July 19 through to Friday, July 21.
According to the Interior and Education ministries, the closure of schools was paramount as a precautionary measure to ensure safety of school going children.
In addition, the ministries noted that credible intelligence reports revealed plans by criminal elements to unleash terror and violence during Wednesday’s anti-government protests.
“The Government has received credible security intelligence that criminal elements intend to engage in armed skirmishes with security agencies around certain schools within Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu,” read the Tuesday statement.
Highlights of Day One of Protests
Nonetheless, the state ordered the reopening of schools despite July 20 amid anti-government protests.
Day one saw violence in various parts of the country with transport and business activities put to a stop in fear of destruction and looting.
Several people were injured, and others were left nursing gunshot wounds.
Furthermore, police detained some Azimio allies, including the vocal Embakasi East Member of Parliament Babu Owino and other Azimio allies.
As such, Narc Kenya Party leaders through a statement called out the authorities for the arrests terming them illegal.
Karua said the arrests were attempts to paralyze Azimio and its top leaders.
“These illegal arrests and or abductions are a desperate attempt by the illegitimate Ruto Regime to paralyze Azimio and its top leaders and to sabotage the exercise of our constitutional right to peaceful demonstrations.” Karua stated.
