Ogamba Names Former UoN VC to Lead 52-Member Team Probing School Fires and Student Unrest

Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba has appointed former University of Nairobi Vice-Chancellor Peter Mulwa Mbithi to lead a 52-member task team investigating recurring student unrest and school fires across Kenya.

The team has been given 90 days to examine the causes of the incidents, review previous investigations and recommend measures to improve safety and restore calm in schools.

The appointments were announced in a Gazette notice dated Friday, October 23, 2026, outlining the team’s membership, responsibilities and terms of service.

Mbithi served as the University of Nairobi’s vice-chancellor from 2015 to 2019. His appointment comes amid concerns over repeated incidents of student unrest that have disrupted learning in secondary schools across the country.

The task team will investigate both the immediate triggers and deeper causes of the incidents reported in 2026. It will also assess why recommendations from previous investigations may not have been fully implemented.

According to the notice, the team will review school safety standards, emergency preparedness procedures and the management of boarding schools. It will examine whether school infrastructure and existing safety measures adequately protect learners.

The investigation will also consider the cost of school uniforms and possible links between unrest, education funding and school fees. These issues will be examined alongside other factors that could contribute to tension in learning institutions.

Student discipline, counselling services, mental health support and learners’ general welfare will also feature in the inquiry.

The team is expected to assess the responsibilities of school administrators, parents, education officials and other stakeholders in preventing unrest and responding to incidents when they occur.

Under its terms of reference, the task team must submit monthly progress reports to Ogamba and present a final report at the end of its 90-day mandate. It will also invite submissions from education stakeholders and members of the public to gather views on the challenges facing schools.

Several other prominent figures from the education sector, academia, legal profession and public service have been appointed to the team.

They include former Maseno University Vice-Chancellor Julius Nyabundi, Council of Legal Education chairperson Collins Odote and Kenyatta University Associate Professor Jackline Nyerere.

Dr Purity Ngina, who attracted national attention in 2018 after being recognised as Kenya’s youngest PhD graduate at the age of 28, is also among those appointed.

Teacher and parent representatives are included in the team, with Kenya National Union of Teachers Secretary-General Collins Henry Oyuu and National Parents Association chairperson Silas David Obuhatsa among the members.

Assistant Inspector General of Police George Lenny Kisaka will also serve on the task team. Other appointees include former Nairobi County education executive Janet Ouko and Leila Abdi Ali, who has previously served under the Teachers Service Commission.

Additional members named in the notice include Abdulahi Hassan, Agnes Ngonyo, Allan Sitima, Alphonse Kanga, Andiwo Obondoh, Anita Kiptum, Boaz Omori Munga, Boniface Ndirangu, Charles Kyalo Mutinda, Charles Sai Tabau, Cleophas Ondieki, Edward Obwocha, Elizabeth Chepchumba Birgen, Ernest Alela, F. E. Mathe, Faraja Precious, Gloria Edna Wawira and former Busia County executive Kizito Wangalwa.

The list also includes James Nyabuto Ombati, Jane Mwangi, Joseph Patrick Kitur, Joseph Wasikhongo, Kepha Nyandega, Lydia Macharia, Margaret Nyambura Njaggah, Mary Mwandi, Mercy Igoki, Mohamed Ibrahim Abdullahi, Monicah Orero, Nicholas Muasya, Nicodemus Mutuku Musyoka, Olipha Omburi Nyakhuru, Paul Wandere, Peter Karanja, Purity Mbaabu, Rose Eteye, Ruth Ngonyoku, Simon Mwangi Muita, Sujatha Kotamraju, Tioko Lorgion and Titus Yego.

Eight joint secretaries have also been appointed to support the team’s work. William Sugut, the head of the Directorate of Secondary Education, will serve as the lead secretary. The other secretaries are Joshua Wabwire, Christine Siranga, Faith Nkatha, Gikambi Zipporah Kawira, Hellen Avisa, Kindi Seyianoi Monicah and Rashid Mohammed.

The latest appointments follow Ogamba’s announcement in June 2026 that the government intended to establish a multi-stakeholder team to investigate rising cases of student unrest and school fires.

At the time, the incidents had disrupted learning in approximately 204 secondary schools across the country, according to the report announcing the task team’s formation.

The 90-day inquiry is expected to examine the circumstances surrounding the incidents and identify measures that schools and education authorities could adopt to prevent similar disruptions.

Its findings could inform future decisions on school safety, boarding facilities, student discipline, learner welfare and the implementation of recommendations from earlier investigations.

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