Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has faulted parents for what he described as increasing indiscipline among learners, saying many families have abandoned their parenting duties and left children to be raised by digital devices and overstretched teachers.
Speaking on Sunday at AIC Plainsview South B Church in Nairobi, Murkomen said the growing behavioural challenges in schools reflect a deeper failure within households, where parents have shifted responsibility to schools, the government, and teachers.
He argued that many parents were no longer actively involved in their children’s upbringing, instead allowing phones, television, and social media to shape their values and behaviour.
“Parents should ask themselves whether they are doing to their children what was done to them. Part of the problem we are experiencing today is the failure of current parents to create time for their children. They have left children to be raised by phones and TVs,” Murkomen said.
He further noted that parents often deflect blame when challenges arise in schools, targeting teachers and state agencies instead of reflecting on their own role.
“If you look at what children are doing more in schools, it reflects the failure of parents to take responsibility. Parents are not ready to face their wrongs, and the easiest target to blame is teachers, the Interior Ministry, the education sector and the government,” he added.
The CS also cautioned parents against expecting schools to fully instil discipline, arguing that modern teachers are often young and cannot replace parental authority at home.
“The government cannot discipline your students; that is your responsibility. Parents still assume that current teachers are the same as old teachers. These are Gen Z teachers; you have left your children to Gen Z teachers to raise fellow Gen Zs, yet you do not want your children to be punished,” he said.
Murkomen added that many teachers now limit their role to classroom instruction, leaving discipline largely to parents and the church.
He urged families and religious institutions to play a stronger role in shaping moral values, saying the solution to student indiscipline lies in shared responsibility between homes and faith-based organisations.
On matters of security, Murkomen reassured Kenyans that the country remains safe, noting that the government is restructuring Nairobi’s security system to respond to emerging urban threats.
“Our country is safe now and we have made great progress. We are changing the security architecture of Nairobi, and this July we will commence establishing the Nairobi Metropolitan Police Unit to deal with unique challenges emerging in the city,” he announced.
He identified gangs and criminal groups as the main remaining security challenge, accusing some politicians of having previously supported or enabled such groups for political gain.
“The only remaining challenge in the country is gangs and goons either formed by politicians or by themselves for selfish gains. Some were started by politicians, and because they could not sustain them, they have now become rogue,” he said.
Murkomen also referenced the recent disruption at All Saints’ Cathedral Nairobi, describing it as unfortunate and confirming that arrests had already been made as investigations continue.
“There was an unfortunate incident that happened at All Saints Cathedral. That was unfortunate. They were captured on CCTV, and the DCI have arrested a number of them, and we will take them to court,” he said.
He added that ongoing efforts to strengthen urban policing, including the planned Nairobi Metropolitan Police Unit, will help curb such incidents and restore order in the capital.
The CS further urged political leaders to clean up their rhetoric, warning against the use of ethnic or divisive language in public discourse, saying it undermines national cohesion and development.
