School Heads Reject Boarding School Ban, Propose a Different Fix Ahead of Mombasa Conference

Secondary school principals have pushed back against growing calls to abolish boarding schools as a response to the unrest hitting learning institutions across Kenya, saying the approach targets the wrong problem.

Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association chair Willie Mwangi said on Monday, June 22, 2026, that the answer lies in identifying students who cannot cope with boarding school life early and moving them to day schools where parents can provide closer supervision.

Mwangi made the remarks during a press briefing at Sheikh Zayed Hall in Mombasa, held ahead of the 49th Kessha/KCB Annual National Conference set to run for five days starting Tuesday.

He pointed out that school unrest tends to peak in the second term, a pattern he linked directly to when students register for national examinations. 

Because registration currently happens in the first term, many students conclude they are untouchable once their names are submitted, believing the process cannot be reversed.

Mwangi proposed two changes to break that cycle. First, he called on the Kenya National Examinations Council to move exam registration to the third term. Second, he urged that KNEC be given authority to cancel a student's registration and defer their sitting by one year, so a candidate registered for the 2026 KCSE who causes unrest could be made to sit the exam in 2027 instead.

He dismissed reports suggesting some teachers played a role in recent incidents, saying those remain unverified claims until investigations by education officials and police reach a conclusion.

Mwangi acknowledged that school heads have faced a difficult stretch recently but said the Mombasa conference, expected to draw more than 8,000 principals, ministry officials, and education stakeholders, would work toward lasting answers.

The five-day programme runs under the theme Strong Schools and Collaborative Leadership for Promoting Competency-Based Education. Sessions cover school leadership, education financing, teacher management, and future skills across the week. Head of Public Service Felix Kosgei will preside over the official opening on Wednesday.

KCB, the main conference sponsor, announced plans to expand its clean energy programme to 3,000 schools before the end of 2026. 

During last year's pilot involving 266 schools, participating institutions recorded energy cost savings of up to 90 percent, a result the bank described as a strong case for rolling the programme out further.