Government orders all schools closed until after elections

The government has ordered the closure of all schools on Tuesday, August 2, to allow the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to conduct the upcoming August 9 general election. 

The decision was announced by Education Cabinet Secretary Prof. George Magoha in a press statement issued on Monday, August 1 in which he said all students would proceed on their half-term break from Tuesday, August 2 until Thursday, August 11. 

“As you are all aware, Kenya is scheduled to conduct its National Elections on Tuesday, August 9, 2022. Therefore, following further consultations, I hereby convey the Government’s decision on the immediate closure of all Basic Education institutions with effect from Tuesday, August 2, 2022, until Wednesday, August 10, 2022, to ensure that preparations and conduct of the upcoming elections is carried out seamlessly.” said the Cabinet Secretary

He noted that the opening dates may change in case of a repeat election which may affect KCPE and KCSE candidates. “We may have to sit down as stakeholders and see whether it will be fair to examine the children if they will have lost a considerable amount of time, I pray that that does not happen, these children have suffered enough,” he noted.