National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah has drawn a controversial parallel between the recent fire tragedy at Utumishi Girls High School and violent protests witnessed in the country in recent years, calling for deeper national reflection on public conduct and its influence on young people.
Speaking during a parliamentary session on Tuesday, June 2, Ichung’wah said there was a need for leaders, parents, and society at large to examine whether children are learning destructive behaviour from adults during moments of unrest.
He cited remarks attributed to Nakuru Governor Susan Kihika, who had questioned whether students might be mimicking the way protests are often conducted in the country.
“I heard the Governor for Nakuru over the weekend pose the question, could these young ones be learning from us that whenever we want to protest, we must burn down buildings, we must burn down people’s shops and people’s cars,” Ichung’wah said.
The Majority Leader argued that many school unrest cases are linked to fatigue and students’ desire to break for holidays, stressing that such frustrations should never escalate into destruction of property or loss of life.
“Many of the cases are because the students are probably fatigued and want to go home. If you want to go home, you do not need to burn down anything, not a dormitory, classroom or school bus,” he stated.
Ichung’wah further urged leaders and parents to take responsibility in shaping behaviour, warning that children may be imitating what they observe in society during protests and public demonstrations.
“We must lead by example as parents, such that if we want to protest against anything as a country, let us not have fires everywhere because these children could be copying from us or from the country,” he said.
While addressing the matter, the Kikuyu MP cautioned against premature blame over the Utumishi Girls incident, instead calling for national unity and lessons from past tragedies involving school fires and unrest.
“Therefore, I say, careful not to blame anybody, but to plead with the nation that we learn from our past mistakes,” he added.
The remarks come amid renewed public concern over safety in learning institutions following the Utumishi Girls inferno, which has reignited debate on school discipline, mental health, and the broader culture of protest in Kenya.