MP Acts After Uproar On Students Left Stranded At Night Outside St Annes School

Makadara Member of Parliament (MP) George Aladwa on Tuesday, January 7 took swift action following reports that emerged of a section of students left stranded outside St. Anne's Girls Secondary School in Nairobi County.

Videos and photos seen by Viral Tea captured the students marooned in the night hours, huddled in a group and facing the real possibility of spending the night out in the cold.

Makadara Social Justice & Information Centre, a human rights organization based in Makadara, shared the plight of the students on social media, seeking intervention to prevent the over a dozen girls from spending the night at the school gate.

But read this, the students were revealed to have been left stranded outside the learning institution's gate over a lack of school fees.

A team sent by Makadara MP George Aladwa to St Anne's Girls Secondary School in Makadara, Nairobi on January 7, 2025. /GEORGE ALADWA

"Current situation at St. ANNE'S GIRLS SCHOOL in Makadara. Students left stranded outside the school gate for lack of school fees. Urgent action is needed to avoid the girls from sleeping outside the school gate," the Makadara-based human rights organization group wrote on X.

The management of St. Anne's Girls' School was largely accused of reportedly locking out students who had fee balances on day one of the school's reopening.

This was a matter that sparked rage on social media immediately after the photos and videos were shared, with Kenyans including politicians such as Karen Nyamu condemning the principal's alleged lack of humanity, given that the students were also exposed to security risks in the area.

In response, Aladwa reported that he deployed his response team to get to the bottom of the matter, issuing express instructions to the school to let the students in.

"Following reports that some students at St. Anne's Girls Secondary School were left stranded outside the premises, I immediately dispatched my team to assess the situation.

"I have since instructed the school management to grant access to the students, and I am pleased to confirm that the situation has now been resolved, with all students safely inside the school," he stated on his Facebook page.

The former Nairobi mayor went on to advise parents to remain patient and refrain from any further concerns. The school was yet to address the matter by the time of publishing this story.

Nyamu in response to Aladwa's actions wrote "The principal of St Anne’s Makadara you have shocked the Nation. Imagine being so insensitive and still having girls of high school age under your care. Thank you Hon Aladwa for intervening. It’s a sad day for the girl child!"

On Thursday, January 2, the Kenya Union of Domestic, Hotels, Educational Institutions, and Hospital Workers (KUDHEIHA) expressed worry that if the government did not release capitation funds before the reopening date on Monday, January 6, parents would have to pay more fees.

The government began the Free Day Secondary Education (FDSE) program in 2008, granting capitation per learner. This is the grant in tuition fees the government gives to every learner in its mandate to actualise the right to education.

KUDHEIHA Secretary General Albert Njeru revealed that parents of students from Form 2 to Form 4 would have to dig deeper into their pockets and pay more. According to KUDHEIHA, the rise in fees was to allow schools to meet the day-to-day demands of running the institutions and pay for casual workers.

"Capitation is granted to every student. This means that parents with students from Form 2 to Form 4 will have to sacrifice and pay more fees so that the needs of the workers, students, books, and all other school needs are met," Njeru explained.

On Saturday, January 4 the Ministry of Education confirmed that capitation funds had not yet been disbursed. Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba, however, said the government is committed to providing free and compulsory basic education for all children in public schools.

He announced that the ministry plans to release Ksh48.38 billion, representing 50 per cent of this year’s capitation funds. However, the statement did not specify the exact date for the disbursement, only noting that the ministry was working with the National Treasury to ensure the funds are released promptly.