Parents who have failed to send their children back to school face arrest as the government launches a door-to-door search for students still at home.
In a new circular sent by Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang to regional, county and sub-county directors of education have been ordered to work with county security officials to trace children and bring them back to school.
Already, Chiefs, village elders and members of Nyumba Kumi have launched a door-to-door hunt for students who are yet to report back to school.
Headteachers have also been instructed to submit daily attendance registers to sub-county directors of education for onward transmission to directors of primary and secondary education at the Ministry headquarters in Jogoo House.
In Lamu, the County Commissioner, Irungu Macharia, sent out a warning to learners who are yet to report back to school after learning resumed on Monday, January 4.
"I'm aware that a number of pupils, mostly girls, had not reported back by Monday. We have launched a massive door-to-door search to have those children sent back to schools.
"Parents who will not send their children to school or men who impregnated or married school girls will be arrested and prosecuted," Macharia told Nation.
Meanwhile, the Devolution Ministry is set to fast-track the rollout of the school feeding programme by the end of the week to attract more students back to school.
Education Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS) Zack Kinuthia has instructed county education officials to account for every learner and encouraged girls who got pregnant last year to also go back to school.
Kisumu, County Director of Education Isaac Atebe revealed that his office could not issue the exact figure of students who have reported back to school adding that chiefs had been instructed to send students to school.
"Chiefs are visiting the homes physically to flash out the absent learners," he explained.
Kanyakine chief in Meru County Isabella Mutura warned that parents who married off girls and men who have married school children would be arrested.
