The Ministry of Education has moved to keep politicians and other donors from turning schools into publicity grounds, directing learning institutions across the country to stop donation visits that interrupt lessons or expose pupils to political attention as Kenya heads towards the 2027 General Election.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba said the restrictions were prompted by concerns over political interests and interruptions to school programmes.
The ministry is implementing the directive across counties, with school administrators expected to ensure that visits by politicians and well-wishers do not involve learners in activities that interfere with teaching.
In Nyamira County, education officials have raised concerns about visitors who make small donations to schools before taking photographs and videos with pupils, potentially using the images to promote themselves on social media.
County Education Director Joshua Kaga, in a circular to school administrators, said such visits had disrupted normal school activities, warning that donations should not become an excuse for interfering with learning.
"We have witnessed cases where well-wishers visit our schools and are allowed to disrupt the school programmes and take photos and videos with pupils/students just because they have made a small donation to the school."
The circular instructed school heads to handle approaches from politicians without involving learners or interrupting lessons. The warning comes as political activity begins to build ahead of the next General Election, raising concerns that schools could be used to reach voters through their children.
Kaga pointed to an incident at Senator Kebaso High School, where politicians reportedly handed out bread and soda to learners before photographing them for social media.
Beyond interruptions to lessons, the ministry has also raised concerns about the publication of children's images without the required consent. The use of photographs and other personal details belonging to minors is subject to legal safeguards intended to protect their privacy and welfare.
Section 27 of the Children Act, 2022, protects children from arbitrary or unlawful interference with their privacy and reputation. Section 33 of the Data Protection Act, 2019, outlines the conditions for processing children's personal data, including parental or guardian consent and the need to consider the child's best interests.
The ministry's position is that schoolchildren should not be exposed to political publicity or have their rights compromised because of donations made to their institutions.
However, the directive has sparked suspicion among some residents, who believe it could affect opposition-aligned politicians known for distributing food to learners. The allegations have not been independently established.
Resident Joshua Keriga argued that some politicians had been making donations for a long time and questioned why restrictions were being introduced at this stage.
"We have those who have been giving bread and soda to learners. They started long ago, but because they are growing popular, a scheme has been devised to stop them," Keriga said.
He also questioned why other activities involving school visits, including events described as empowerment programmes and prayer sessions, appeared to be permitted while some donation activities were being restricted.
Keriga alleged that politicians aligned with the government were being treated differently from their opponents, but did not provide evidence to support the claim.
The latest move adds to a series of measures introduced by successive education Cabinet secretaries to prevent schools from becoming venues for political activities.
In March 2022, the late Prof George Magoha prohibited political rallies and visits to schools until examinations were over. He advised politicians to hold their events in stadiums rather than interfere with activities in learning institutions.
Earlier, in May 2017, Dr Fred Matiang'i banned political rallies on school grounds and prohibited the use of school buses to transport people to political gatherings.
In 2024, then Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu introduced another restriction, directing head teachers not to administer examinations using papers carrying politicians' photographs or names. The measure was intended to stop school activities from being used to promote political ambitions.
Ogamba's latest directive comes as schools prepare for national examinations and the political landscape gradually shifts towards the 2027 polls.
The restrictions seek to protect teaching time and prevent children from being drawn into political activities, regardless of the affiliations of those seeking access to schools.
For school administrators, the directive places responsibility on them to ensure that donations and visits do not disrupt school programmes or expose learners to publicity without the necessary safeguards.
At the same time, questions from some residents over the fairness of the restrictions could fuel debate about how the rules will be applied to politicians from different political camps.
As the election season approaches, the ministry faces the task of ensuring that schools remain focused on education while protecting learners from disruptions and the misuse of their images for political purposes.