The Head of State ordered ordered schools to admit students regardless of whether they had cleared their school fees balances or had acquired school uniforms.  President Ruto insisted that there should be 100 per cent transition transition from Grade 9 to Grade 10.

County Commissioner Erastus Mbui further told the mass media in his office that there was ongoing countywide mobilisation to ensure that all Grade 10 learners report to schools.  

After sitting for the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment,  KPSEA,  students should join senior schools.  In Kitui County's case, the remaining 20 per cent are still being verified to ensure compliance with the President's directive.  "We are still verifying because some learners may already be in school.  We are counterchecking through both schools and home visits to be certain", explained Kitui County Commissioner Erastus Mbui. 

All chiefs in Kitui County were instructed to visit former junior schools to obtain names of students who completed Grade 9 in 2025. This will be for confirming which senior schools they were admitted.

Commissioner Erastus Mbui warned that if a student will be found idling at home without a valid reason, he or she will be facilitated to enrol in a senior school near home. He reiterated that there was no justification for any student to be out of class.

The Near-Average to Below-Average rainfall forecast covers all Ukambani region, North-eastern Kenya and the Northwest. "Rainfall may be poorly distributed,  with intermittent dry spells that could affect agriculture,  pasture and water availability", said Edward Muriuki,  Ag. Director of the Kenya Meteorological Services. 

In terms of temperature range over the long rainfall season, the weatherman said the entire country will experience warmer-than-average temperatures,  increasing heat-related risks, especially in ASAL areas, coastal regions, and urban centres.

Kitui County CECM for Agriculture and Livestock Dr Mbaya Kimwele said while the Met forecast for March 2026 shows that rainfall will be near to below average,  it will have a slightly better performance than the OND 2025 season. "The rains are likely to start in the 3rd to 4th week of March and end by mid-May", he said.

Mature Bulls-55-110K

Medium Bulls-40-55K

Young Bulls-28-40K

Mature Cows-35-65K

Medium Cows-30-40K

Young Cows-28-32K

Bucks

Mature-8-15K

Medium-6-10K

Young-3-5K

Mature ram-7-12K

Medium ram-3-5K

Mature ewe-6-8K

Medium ewe-3-5K

Chicken 

Mature Cocks-600-1000

Mature Hen-  450-700

Donkeys 

Male-5-10K

Females-5-10K

Dated:29/1/2026

Dr Kasalu said prolonged food shortages in Kitui County have left many pupils attending school on empty stomachs, a situation she described as detrimental to concentration, attendance and overall academic performance.

Kitui is among Kenya’s Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs), where rainfall patterns remain highly unreliable, often resulting in poor harvests and chronic food insecurity.

Speaking to journalists in Kitui town on February 3, 2026 , shortly after launching a National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF) full scholarship programme for Grade 10 to 12 learners, the Woman Representative said the hunger crisis has reached alarming levels.“Many families in Kitui County are struggling to put food on the table due to prolonged drought. Learners are expected to attend school daily, yet many of them do so without a meal, which puts their education at serious risk,” Dr Kasalu said.

She cited that the last rainy season, which was characterised by insufficient and poorly distributed rainfall across large parts of the county, leaving farms unproductive and households without adequate food supplies. According to Dr Kasalu, the situation has forced families to make difficult choices, often prioritising basic survival over education-related needs.“Kitui lies on the drought belt, and without deliberate intervention, life becomes extremely difficult for residents. Learners cannot be expected to perform well academically when hunger has become a daily reality,” she added.

Dr Kasalu noted that her office has already taken steps to seek support from development partners and humanitarian organisations. She revealed that she has written formal letters to several organisations appealing for food assistance, particularly targeting schools in the most affected and remote areas.“Through the Office of the Woman Representative in Kitui, I have reached out to organisations that can support the supply of food to schools. This will help learners stay in class and improve their learning experience, while also supporting vulnerable women and elderly people who struggle to access meals,” she explained.

She stressed that school feeding programmes have previously played a critical role in improving school attendance and retention, especially in drought-prone regions. Reintroducing them, she said, would provide immediate relief while long-term solutions to food insecurity are pursued.

Dr Kasalu called on organisations that have received her appeals to act with urgency, warning that delays could worsen the situation for thousands of households.“Hunger requires a rescue mission. Concentrating in class with an empty stomach is an almost impossible task. We urge both levels of government and our partners to act swiftly and restore school feeding programmes to protect the future of our children,” she said.

The inferno, whose cause is yet to be established, broke out at around 9pm on Monday, February 2, 2026, and spread rapidly through the area, which is largely occupied by furniture workshops, timber yards, and showrooms.

Within a short time, raging flames engulfed business premises, destroying finished furniture, raw materials, machinery, and tools, as traders watched helplessly while years of hard work and investment went up in smoke.

The scene was one of shock and despair, with some traders visibly shaken by the scale of destruction, while others stood in silence, unable to salvage anything from their burning businesses.

Peter Mwololo, the chairman of Shauri United Association, said about 300 traders had been affected by the inferno, noting that most of them depend entirely on the furniture business as their only source of livelihood.

Mwololo criticized the emergency response, saying the fire brigade that arrived at the scene did not have sufficient water to effectively fight the blaze, and called on the Embu County Government to improve preparedness for such disasters.

“This fire has destroyed livelihoods. About 300 traders have been affected, yet the fire brigade did not have enough water to put out the flames. We need better preparedness and proper equipment to protect our people,” said Mwololo.

Efforts by the Embu County emergency response team were further hampered after the fire engine’s water hose, used to draw and spray water, was reportedly vandalized by unknown individuals, slowing down the firefighting operation.

Joseph Njoka, the Director of Risk Management in Embu County, said the county fire brigade had been swiftly deployed to contain the inferno, but their efforts were frustrated by unruly members of the public. He explained that as firefighters battled the blaze, some individuals turned violent, cutting the fire brigade’s hosepipe with a panga and pelting the team with stones, effectively paralyzing the rescue operation.

“As we were putting out the fire, some people came with a panga, cut off the hosepipe, and started throwing stones at our fire brigade,” Njoka said.

The delay allowed the fire to spread further, causing more destruction before it was eventually brought under control, according to traders who witnessed the operation. Charles Mugambi, the chairman of Embu Business Owners Association, called for a thorough investigation into the incident, noting that fire outbreaks in the area have increased in recent days. “We are deeply concerned because these fire incidents are becoming frequent. Authorities must investigate thoroughly to establish the cause and prevent a repeat of such devastating losses,” Mugambi said.

One of the affected traders, Geoffrey Njeru, said he had invested about KSh2.6 million in his business, including raw materials, machines, and ready-made furniture that he was scheduled to deliver to clients on Tuesday. “I had furniture ready for delivery today, machines, and materials worth about KSh2.6 million. Everything was destroyed by the fire, and I don’t know how I will recover,” Njeru said.

For Titus Waweru, who has operated a furniture business in the Shauri area since the year 2000, the incident was particularly painful, as it marked the second time his business had been destroyed by fire despite having taken a loan from a sacco to rebuild.

“This is the second time fire has brought me down. I secured a loan to put up the business again, and now it has all been reduced to ashes. We are appealing to the government to come to our aid so that we can rise again and rebuild our businesses,” Waweru said.

The Shauri area has previously experienced similar incidents, including a major fire in 2022, raising renewed concerns about fire safety, emergency preparedness, and long-term prevention measures to protect traders and their investments.