Murkomen says parents shifting blame to government over school indiscipline crisis

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen. (Photo: X/Kipchumba Murkomen)

By Rachael Mutabasi
Sunday, June 14, 2026

Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen has blamed rising cases of school unrest on reduced parental involvement in child upbringing, saying many parents are shifting responsibility to teachers and government institutions instead of providing moral guidance at home.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has attributed the rising cases of school unrest and youth misconduct to reduced parental involvement in child upbringing.

Speaking at AIC Plainsview South B Church on Sunday, Murkomen said many parents are quick to blame government institutions, including the Ministry of Education and security agencies, for school unrest instead of reflecting on their own role in shaping children’s behaviour.

“We are not willing to face our wrongs, so we look for someone to blame. The easiest thing is to ask where the Minister of Security was, where the Minister of Education was, where the teacher was, and where the government was,” he said.

Latest Stories

The CS questioned whether modern parents are dedicating enough time to the moral and spiritual development of their children, noting that practices such as Bible study, Sunday school attendance, reciting memory verses and participation in church-based activities have significantly declined compared to earlier generations.

Murkomen argued that the growing use of smartphones, television and video games has replaced direct parental engagement, with children spending more time on digital devices and less time interacting with their families.

He further said parents have increasingly shifted responsibility for discipline and character formation to teachers, while at the same time limiting schools’ authority to enforce discipline. According to him, this has weakened the ability of schools to effectively manage and guide learners.

The Interior CS linked recent incidents of school unrest, including violence and destruction of property, to what he described as a breakdown in both home-based upbringing and school-based mentorship systems.

He emphasised the need for stronger parental involvement, saying moral instruction should begin at home and be reinforced through faith-based institutions.