Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha has revealed that he received a letter from the Atheists Society in Kenya, urging him to abolish the annual tradition of school prayers day.
Most schools in the country observe a special day of prayers for their students, as the national examinations approach.
Addressing journalists in Mombasa on Thursday, Magoha said that the tradition has been observed for many years, and it is here to stay. He further added that the government cannot infringe on the faith of students.
Magoha also said that his support for the tradition comes from the fact that he is also a believer. “Atheists requested me to do away with prayer days and I refused. I am a believer and we must encourage students to pray even before the exams,” he said.
However, the CS cautioned that the prayers are to be held by the schools without inviting members of the public. He said that malicious individuals use this day to engage in exam malpractices.
“The public attend the prayers to confuse our students. Prayers are encouraged and the Atheists should not think that we do not know what we are doing. We must continue praying,” he stated.
On leakages and other malpractices, Magoha revealed that the government will take pre-emptive steps to stop the practice. Some of these include monitoring social media sites, with Telegram being of particular interest. And also randomly changing the schedule for when the containers holding the papers are opened.
“I want to warn those centre managers who will be tempted to open the papers and share them via Telegram. We are waiting for you and if you do not love your career just attempt it. We are watching you.”
