MPs propose NIS agents to be posted as spies in secondary schools to prevent unrest

The National Assembly Education Committee has proposed to have National Intelligence Service (NIS) agents planted in Kenyan secondary schools to spy for the government.

According to the MPs, the spies will help arrest incidences of planned school unrest before they are executed.

The committee did not recommend a particular way to have the agents conduct the spy mission, however, they had been known to blend in as part of an institution to gather information, like in the case of KRA where they posed as new employees.

Education Committee Chairman Julius Melly. Inside MPs' proposal to have undercover NIS agents posted to schools to prevent cases of unrest Pulse Live Kenya

School board members to blame for unrest

The proposal was contained in a report tabled in Parliament to address the issue of school unrest that affected about 100 secondary schools in 2018.

"The National Intelligence Service (NIS) should take an active role in gathering information in schools on student activities, especially that touching on security, and sharing the same with school authorities and advise on preventive measures to avert students unrest," the report reads in part.

According to the research conducted by the team, school board members have also played a role in sponsoring school unrest in cases where they do not agree with school administrators.

"The Basic Education Act 2013 should be reviewed to co-opt government administrators such as county commissioners and chiefs in boards of management to give them an opportunity to share security intelligence from time to time," the report recommends.

File photo of unrest at Jamhuri Secondary School, Nairobi. MPs propose NIS agents to be posted as spies in secondary schools to prevent unrest ece-auto-gen

The latest case of school unrest took place 2 weeks ago at St Pius Uriri Secondary School in Migori County where students set their dormitory on fire after being denied a chance to watch an AFCON match.