This is Why Its Time for Kenya to Abolish Boarding Schools

On the night of Thursday, September 5th, tragedy struck a boarding secondary school in Central Kenya when a devastating fire tore through a dormitory. Although the exact cause remains unknown, the grim aftermath is undeniable. Approximately 150 students were asleep in the dormitory when the blaze erupted, claiming the lives of at least 17 students, many burned beyond recognition. There are 824 pupils at the school – 402 boys and 422 girls. Out of these 316 pupils are boarders. This tragedy is a heartbreaking reminder of the dangers that boarding schools continue to pose to Kenyan students.

Kenya's boarding schools have long been seen as prestigious institutions where students can focus on their education away from distractions. However, the mounting tragedies ranging from devastating fires to shocking assaults, demonstrate that boarding schools in the country have become a ticking time bomb. The colonial legacy of these institutions, combined with recurring disasters and a silent epidemic of violence, makes a compelling argument that it's time for Kenya to abolish boarding schools once and for all.

This most recent fire tragedy is a horrific reminder of similar incidents from the past, each one claiming the lives of young learners whose only mistake was being present at a boarding facility. The Hillside fire was not an isolated event. It is part of a disturbing pattern of death by fire that stretches back decades.

Kenya's history of school fires is filled with stories of preventable losses. In 1998, Bombolulu Girls Secondary School saw 26 girls perish in a deadly fire and stampede as they tried to escape a locked dormitory. In 1999, Nyeri High School became a graveyard when students, enraged by school discipline, set fire to a cubicle where four student prefects were locked inside. A year later, Kyanguli Secondary School experienced one of the deadliest tragedies in Kenyan history when 67 boys died in a fire caused by two of their peers, angry at the administration. The building was overcrowded and lacked basic fire safety measures, a common theme in these disasters.

These incidents, though horrifying, have failed to bring about meaningful change. The government’s response to each new tragedy has been the same: offering ‘stringent’ measures to prevent recurrence, only for those promises to fade until the next catastrophe strikes. The failures aren’t just in governance but in the very structure of boarding schools themselves, which create conditions ripe for such fatal outcomes.

While fire tragedies grab headlines, there is another equally sinister issue plaguing Kenya's boarding schools: violence, bullying, and abuse. These institutions have become breeding grounds for a silent pandemic of sexual and physical assaults that have long been normalized as ‘rites of passage.’ 

In July 1991, St. Kizito Secondary School in Meru County shocked the nation when 19 girls were killed in a mass rape incident by their fellow male students. This horrifying event is not an outlier but a reflection of the deeply ingrained culture of assault in boarding schools. Sexual abuse and physical bullying are so pervasive that many students view them as inevitable parts of life in these institutions. The mental toll on students is profound, yet these abuses are too often swept under the rug by school administrations.

Despite the outrage generated by cases like St. Kizito and Nyeri High School, little has changed. Boarding schools continue to foster environments where power imbalances, lack of adult oversight, and the isolation of students from their families make such abuses almost inevitable. It's a cruel and silent epidemic that demands immediate action.

The Colonial Roots of Boarding Schools

Boarding schools in Kenya are a relic of British colonial rule, designed to produce a compliant labor force for the colonial government. These institutions were established not with the interests of students in mind, but as tools of control and segregation. While the world has moved forward, Kenya remains tied to this outdated system that, instead of nurturing students, subjects them to unnecessary risks and hardships. Even Britain itself, has since marginalized boarding schools in Britain, mainstreaming day schools as the prime mode of secondary schooling.

The rigid structures of boarding schools, which often mimic the hierarchical and authoritarian ethos of the colonial era, have failed to evolve into spaces that prioritize student welfare. From overcrowded dormitories to draconian rules, these schools have long been places where student voices are silenced, fostering resentment that can explode into violence or tragic accidents.

In today’s world, the boarding school model is not only archaic but also dangerous. It isolates children from their families, leaving them vulnerable to both external and internal threats. The very system that should be ensuring their safety and education is exposing them to unimaginable risks. It’s time for Kenya to acknowledge that these schools no longer serve the purpose they were intended for and are, in fact, a threat to the future of the country’s youth.