Illegal fishing lures Kenyan students away from classrooms

A troubling trend has emerged around Lake Naivasha, where tens of secondary school students have dropped out over the past year to engage in illegal fishing activities.

This revelation came to light during a recent prize-giving ceremony at Mirera High School, the largest educational institution in Nakuru County with an enrollment of approximately 2,000 students.

The Ministry of Education has identified informal settlements surrounding Lake Naivasha as the epicenter of this dropout crisis. The number of students abandoning their education to join the hazardous fishing trade continues to escalate, raising alarms among educators and local officials.

Naivasha Member of Parliament Jane Kihara, who was the guest of honor at the ceremony, voiced her deep concern about the rising number of students involved in illegal fishing. She urged the local security forces to take immediate action to curb this worrying trend and protect the future of these young individuals.

“We have information that tens of students are dropping out of school to join fishing despite the dangers in the lake, and it’s time we took action,” Kihara stated emphatically. She also referenced recent, violent demonstrations by Generation Z youths, during which her offices in Naivasha town were torched, describing the incident as the darkest period of her political career. Kihara called for responsible protests, noting that the arson attack had severely disrupted governmental operations.

Mirera High School Principal Apollo Kamau acknowledged the dropout issue, attributing it to the allure of illegal fishing and the compounded problem of substance abuse fueled by the school’s proximity to the Karagita slums. Despite these challenges, Kamau highlighted the school’s academic achievements, noting that 53 students from last year’s class are set to join universities, reflecting the institution’s resilience and dedication to education.

Naivasha Deputy County Commissioner Josiah Odongo disclosed that the government has allocated over Sh40 million to enhance infrastructure in junior secondary schools in the area. However, he expressed concern over certain individuals who are inciting the youth over trivial matters, thereby jeopardizing their educational prospects.

“We are, however, worried by some people who are inciting the youth over petty issues, thus affecting their education, and we shall not tolerate this,” warned Odongo.

In a bid to alleviate the strain on Mirera High School, Hellsgate Member of County Assembly (MCA) Virginia Wamaitha announced plans to construct another school in the area.

She revealed that the government has approved the use of the old Karagita airstrip land for this purpose, which will also include a market, aiming to provide better educational facilities and reduce congestion.