Concerns As City Hall Withdraws Primary Schools Security Services Amid Pandemic

Primary School heads have come out to express their concerns over a move by the Nairobi County Government to withdraw security services to their learning institutions.

A letter from regional director of Education Jared Obiero dated August 28 notified the school heads that City Hall will no longer provide security to their schools effective next month.

Obiero indicated that he had been directed by the county chief officer for Education Gender and Social Services Ruth Owuor to inform school heads to engage school boards and make alternative security arrangements until a lasting solution concerning provision of the services across the county is found.

“Nairobi county will terminate the services of Vickers Security and Magic Security firms from August 31, 2020. Headteachers are asked to attend the handover in their respective schools on September 1,” the letter reads.

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The two security agencies had been contracted in 2018 to guard all public schools in the city.

The county government, reports indicate, spent a monthly average of Ksh40,000 on each school.

The communication comes at a time all learning institutions in the country remain closed due to the coronavirus threat.

With the headteachers often blaming the government over insufficient funds to run learning institutions, parents are likely to shoulder the provision of security costs.

The school heads say that the withdrawal of security will place the school property at risk especially during this period when the schools are closed.

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According to the Kenya Primary Schools Head Teachers Association (Kepsha) chairperson Nicholas Gathemia the directive is not well thought out and will undermine primary education.

“This move will definitely hurt primary education. Secondary schools have continued to gain as primary schools funds decline,” he said.

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