Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir has issued a strong call to education leaders across Kenya to build more robust support systems for learners, warning that without coordinated action, schools will continue to grapple with extreme behaviour and increasingly unsafe environments.
Speaking today at the 49th Annual National Conference of the Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (KESSHA), hosted in Mombasa, the Governor directed his message at Members of Parliament and other key stakeholders in the education sector. He urged them to create learning environments where every student, regardless of background, has a genuine opportunity to succeed.
Central to Nassir’s address was the call for collaborative leadership among teachers, parents and all those with a stake in education. He argued that only a united, proactive approach can deliver the kind of meaningful change Kenyan schools urgently need. The Governor was particularly emphatic about mental health, insisting that schools must shift away from a reactive stance — responding to crises after they arise — towards preventive interventions that identify and address challenges before they escalate.
He also called for greater investment in teacher empowerment, viewing educators as the frontline of student welfare. “It is our duty to provide a learning environment that is ideal for both the current and future generations,” Governor Nassir said, underlining that the responsibility for shaping learners extends well beyond classroom walls.
Turning to what Mombasa County is already doing on the ground, Nassir highlighted the county government’s flagship “No Child Left Behind” programme, which provides meals to secondary school learners throughout the county. He revealed that 76.9 per cent of students in Mombasa are currently benefiting from the initiative — a significant milestone — and that the county is now pushing towards achieving full, 100 per cent coverage. The programme represents a concrete commitment to ensuring that hunger does not stand between a child and their education.
The Governor further revealed that the county is actively analysing data to improve its engagement with students and sharpen the interventions designed to support their wellbeing, discipline and academic outcomes. “We are dissecting the data to see how we can improve our engagement with our students,” he said, signalling a more evidence-driven approach to county education policy.
Nassir rounded off his address by reaffirming that sustained investment in learners — encompassing nutrition, mental wellness and strong school support systems — remains the foundation for producing a more capable and resilient generation, and for building an education sector that Kenya can be proud of.
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