By Nyang’au Araka
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has called for the installation of comprehensive CCTV surveillance systems and central monitoring control rooms in schools across the country.
Murkomen made the call following the deadly fire tragedy at Utumishi Girls Academy that claimed the lives of several students.
Also Read
Speaking during a thanksgiving ceremony at Kipsigis Girls’ High School in Kericho County on Sunday, Murkomen said the disturbing footage from the Utumishi incident had exposed glaring security and monitoring gaps in schools, underscoring the need for real-time surveillance to prevent similar tragedies.
“We need to ensure that all schools have properly installed CCTV cameras covering critical areas, as well as a central control room for effective monitoring and response,” he said.
The Cabinet Secretary revealed that he was deeply shocked after reviewing CCTV footage from the school, which allegedly showed students walking confidently with paraffin and a matchbox before setting a mattress ablaze and fleeing the dormitory, leaving their colleagues asleep inside.
“The footage is extremely disturbing. You can see students carrying paraffin and a matchbox, lighting a mattress and then walking away as other learners remained asleep. It is heartbreaking,” he said.
Murkomen noted that had there been effective monitoring of surveillance footage through a dedicated control room, the suspicious movements could have been detected early enough to trigger intervention and potentially avert the disaster.
He urged school principals and boards of management to strengthen security and safety measures, saying school administrators must take proactive responsibility for the welfare of learners.
“You must take proactive steps as principals and boards of management to ensure that our dormitories are not congested and that they have proper emergency exits,” he said.
The CS also emphasized the importance of strengthening communication channels between teachers and students, saying valuable information that could have prevented the Utumishi tragedy was overlooked.
“One of the things we have learned from Utumishi Girls Academy is that information shared by students was, in some cases, taken for granted,” he said.
Detectives had established that some students gave information to teachers that their colleagues were planning to burn the school but the intelligence was disregarded.
“It pains that some adults had prior information and they never made use of it. This is something that can haunt people for a long time; that they had a chance to avert tragedy but never did it,” the CS said.
He urged teachers to cultivate trusting relationships with learners to encourage the sharing of concerns and intelligence about potential threats within schools.
“I want to encourage teachers to build strong networks and relationships with students so that they can freely share feedback on what is happening in school,” he said.
Murkomen further challenged parents to take a more active role in raising their children, warning against abandoning parental responsibilities entirely to schools.
He said parents must remain closely involved in their children’s lives, understand their behavior and emotional wellbeing, and work collaboratively with teachers in shaping responsible young people.
“Parents should not abdicate their parenting responsibilities. Even when children are in boarding school, parents must remain close to them and know what is happening in their lives,” he said.
The Cabinet Secretary said the Utumishi tragedy should serve as a wake-up call for schools, parents and education stakeholders to strengthen safety systems, improve monitoring mechanisms and pay closer attention to warning signs before they escalate into disasters.
Murkomen was accompanied by Kericho Governor Eric Mutai, Belgut MP Nelson Koech, Kericho County Commissioner Ali Omar and several Members of County Assembly.
