A video making rounds on social media shows two male teachers taking turns caning two male students inside a school staffroom. The clip has gathered thousands of views and shares and has sparked one of the most heated online debates Kenya has seen around school discipline in recent times.
In the footage the teachers are heard interrogating the boys about their conduct while delivering strokes with a cane. One teacher is heard saying in Swahili that when a female colleague tells them something they must listen suggesting the punishment was tied to alleged disrespect shown toward a woman teacher. The exact school has not been officially identified.
The video has split Kenyans sharply along generational lines. Older users and many parents have defended the teachers arguing that modern students lack discipline and that firm action is the only language some learners understand. Several commenters recalled being caned during their own schooling and credited it with shaping their character.
On the other side child rights advocates younger users and several educators have condemned the incident outright. They argue the punishment was excessive illegal and psychologically harmful. Many have called on the Teachers Service Commission and the Ministry of Education to investigate and hold the teachers accountable.
Corporal punishment has been banned in Kenyan schools since the Children Act of 2001 yet cases of teachers caning students continue to surface regularly. Rights organisations have over the years documented instances where such punishment led to serious injuries. The staffroom setting in this particular video has added another layer of concern since it bypassed any formal disciplinary process.
Education experts say the solution lies not in physical punishment but in investing in teacher training focused on positive discipline counselling and stronger parental involvement. They warn that using fear to enforce authority does lasting damage to students’ confidence and trust in teachers.
Authorities are yet to issue an official statement on the video. Calls for action are growing louder by the hour and the affected students are said to be in need of support and follow-up care.