{"id":3077,"date":"2026-05-31T15:13:19","date_gmt":"2026-05-31T15:13:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/livenation254.com\/?p=3077"},"modified":"2026-05-31T15:13:19","modified_gmt":"2026-05-31T15:13:19","slug":"npa-defends-education-cs-and-ps-over-utumishi-girls-tragedy-calls-for-national-school-safety-reforms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/livenation254.com\/?p=3077","title":{"rendered":"NPA Defends Education CS and PS Over Utumishi Girls Tragedy, Calls for National School Safety Reforms"},"content":{"rendered":"

By News Desk<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The National Parents Association (NPA) has strongly opposed growing calls for the dismissal of Education Cabinet Secretary Hon. Julius Ogamba and Principal Secretary Prof. Julius Bitok following the tragic fire at Utumishi Girls High School in Nakuru County that claimed the lives of 16 students.<\/p>\n

In a statement issued today, the Association urged Kenyans to remain calm and allow the Government sufficient time to investigate the cause of the disaster before assigning blame.<\/p>\n

According to the NPA, demands for the removal of senior Ministry of Education officials are misplaced and fail to address the deeper and long-standing challenges affecting learner safety in schools.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe cannot target the CS and the PS without reason. Though they are in charge of the Ministry, they are also parents and fellow Kenyans who are experiencing the same pain and grief being felt across the country. These are senior public officers who deserve our prayers and support as investigations continue,\u201d the Association stated.<\/p>\n

The NPA further argued that dismissing Ministry officials would not guarantee an end to disasters in schools, noting that tragedies have occurred over many years under different administrations and circumstances.<\/p>\n

The Association called on investigators to establish whether there were individuals within the institution who may have contributed to or incited actions that led to the destruction and loss of life.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The NPA emphasized that Kenya has witnessed numerous preventable disasters in learning institutions, including school fires, collapsing buildings, pit latrine accidents, drowning incidents, transport accidents, student conflicts, and injuries resulting from negligence.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese unfortunate incidents demonstrate the need for comprehensive and sustainable solutions rather than the routine assignment of blame whenever tragedy strikes,\u201d the statement noted<\/strong>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The Association maintained that parents must play a central role in shaping policies affecting learners and school safety. It expressed concern that parents are often excluded from critical discussions despite being primary stakeholders in the education sector.<\/p>\n

The NPA urged the Government to strengthen engagement with the Association and other education stakeholders on matters concerning learner welfare, discipline, safety, and development.<\/p>\n

The Association also appealed to President Dr. William Ruto\u2019s administration to facilitate closer collaboration between the Ministry of Education and the National Parents Association through relevant departments, including the Directorate of Field Coordination and Co-curricular Activities.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs the legally recognized voice of parents under the Basic Education Act, 2013, the National Parents Association possesses valuable insights into the challenges parents face daily in supporting their children’s education. Parents remain a critical resource in promoting learner welfare and safety,\u201d the statement added.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The NPA commended ongoing efforts by the Ministry of Education to improve educational outcomes and reiterated its commitment to working constructively with Government agencies, schools, and communities.<\/p>\n

The Association further proposed the urgent convening of a national stakeholders’ forum on school safety and disaster management. Such a forum, it said, would provide a platform for education stakeholders to discuss practical interventions aimed at preventing future tragedies and protecting learners in boarding institutions and other learning environments.<\/p>\n

As the nation continues to mourn the loss of the 16 students, the National Parents Association called for unity, patience, and collective action in addressing the root causes of school disasters.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cThis tragedy should serve as a wake-up call for the country to strengthen disaster preparedness, prevention, and response systems in all learning institutions. Together, we can ensure that every child learns in a safe, secure, and conducive environment,\u201d<\/strong> the Association concluded.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By News Desk The National Parents Association (NPA) has strongly opposed growing calls for the dismissal of Education Cabinet Secretary Hon. Julius Ogamba and Principal… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3079,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26,30],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3077","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-education","category-latest-updates"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/livenation254.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3077","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/livenation254.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/livenation254.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/livenation254.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/livenation254.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3077"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/livenation254.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3077\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3080,"href":"https:\/\/livenation254.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3077\/revisions\/3080"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/livenation254.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3079"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/livenation254.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3077"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/livenation254.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3077"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/livenation254.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3077"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}