Cord wants Matiang'i to quit, school fires declared national disaster

Cord coalition members address the media at Parliament on July 28, 2017. Cord wants Education minister Fred Matiang'i to quit and the government to declare the school fires a national disaster. PHOTO | JEREMIAH KIPLANG'AT | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Cord members urged the government to declare the school fires a national disaster in order to focus the country’s resources on stopping them.
  • Mombasa Senator Hassan Omar said it was not possible to find a solution when Dr Matiang’i was still in office and students in school.

The Cord coalition wants Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i to quit over the raging school fires, saying he has failed stop the unrest despite making several attempts.

The coalition has also urged the government to immediately close all schools to provide space for deliberations with stakeholders on how to end the arson attacks.

Addressing the media at Parliament on Thursday, Cord members urged the government to declare the school fires a national disaster in order to focus the country’s resources on stopping them.

Cord co-principal Moses Wetang’ula led more than a dozen lawmakers from the coalition in questioning President Uhuru Kenyatta’s commitment to dealing with the menace that has led to the loss of property worth millions of shillings. 

“As the Cord coalition, we demand the on-going school fires be declared a national disaster, an immediate closure of schools to avoid further inexplicable destruction of property, the country to be told who the real perpetrators of these acts are, action to be taken and a proper mechanism be put in place to ensure such incidents do not happen again in the future,” said the statement.

Mombasa Senator Hassan Omar said it was not possible to find a solution when Dr Matiang’i was still in office and students in school.

The government has ruled out closing the schools, saying only a hundred out of 9,300 are affected.

“This is clearly a government that has been overwhelmed by crisis after crisis. It failed to take action now it has developed into a national disaster. The CS should resign because he has failed to deal with the crisis,” said Mr Omar.

PRESIDENT'S SILENCE

Mr Wetang’ula also questioned Dr Matiang’i’s explanation that the fires were being started by people linked to exam-cheating cartels.

“Crime cannot occur in such a copycat manner. Normally, when students are aggrieved they burn teachers’ quarters, administration blocks or cars belonging to teachers. But right now most fires are in the dormitories where students’ properties are. It is unbelievable that students would turn their anger on their belongings,” he said.

The legislators were also not happy with the silence of President Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto, worrying that they had not taken a keen interest in a matter that had affected schools countrywide.

“This is a clear indication that this government is very poor in responding to crises. The President has a responsibility to protect our children,” said Suba MP John Mbadi, also the ODM chairman.

Mbita MP Millie Odhiambo wondered whether the fires were being started to divert the country's attention from a financial crisis in the government.

“This could be a plan to divert our attention from the various crises in this government. We want the government to come clean on what is doing to stop them,” she said.

(Editing by Joel Muinde)