In an effort to deal with the ongoing school unrest, the government has resulted in using the WhatsApp groups to enhance surveillance and ensure a coordinated response.
According to Moses Lilan, Homa Bay County Commissioner, the initiative is aimed at linking schools to police stations in order for them to work together and prevent the property destruction in schools that has been going on for a while now.
"School managers will be expected to share any suspicious cases which may culminate in violence so that they are handled at the right time," Lilan stated.
Two Secondary schools in Homa Bay county have experienced the destruction of property by students in the last six days.
In Rachuonyo South, students of Kotieno Mixed School early this week burnt down a dormitory, while in Ndhiwa, Monday, February 1, Ototo Mixed suffered a massive loss when students destroyed classrooms and dormitories leading to the indefinite closure of the school.
The area county commissioner dded that some schools that suffered mass losses of property due to destruction by students did so due to poor coordination between the school managers and security personnel in times of emergencies. He said so while addressing journalists in his office on Thursday, February 4.
“We are linking every primary and secondary school in the county to the nearest police station. This will enhance quick response which will enable us to save property during emergencies in schools,” he remarked.
He also added that the police will be doing rounds in the schools as a preventive measure and also urged school managers to install CCTV cameras in the schools as well as ensure they are properly fenced. The aim of the security cameras is to facilitate the following up of criminal activities that take place in the schools.
The school managers were also advised to employ 24 hours security guards in the schools to help with ensuring students maintain the required peace.
The county security committee has been holding meetings since Wednesday, February 3. The meetings are to be held in each of the eight sub-counties of Homa Bay county and are expected to be concluded today.
