Should Schools Bring Back the Cane? Oburu Odinga Weighs In

“I do not know how you people in the teaching profession can instil discipline in your schools without the power of the cane.”

Those remarks by Oburu Odinga have once again sparked one of Kenya’s longest-running parenting debates: Should corporal punishment return to schools?

Speaking in Siaya County, Oburu questioned how teachers are expected to handle serious indiscipline, especially after repeated incidents of students torching school dormitories and destroying property.

He argued that teachers have been left without an effective disciplinary tool.

“I do not understand how you deal with a student who burns the dormitory,” he said.

Reflecting on his own school days, Oburu recalled that students who faced expulsion would first receive a few strokes of the cane before being sent home. He expressed hope that the government would one day reconsider the decision to outlaw corporal punishment in schools.

His comments have reopened a conversation that divides many Kenyan parents.

Have we lost discipline or changed how we discipline?

Many parents grew up in classrooms where the cane was a normal part of school life. Some credit it with teaching respect, responsibility and accountability.

Others remember it very differently, as something that created fear, humiliation and resentment rather than genuine discipline.

Today, schools are expected to rely on guidance and counselling, restorative discipline, mentorship and positive behaviour management instead of physical punishment. Yet every time there is a wave of school unrest, dormitory fires or violent student behaviour, questions resurface about whether these approaches are enough.

So, are schools struggling because the cane disappeared, or are today’s disciplinary challenges rooted in much deeper issues?

What does the law say?

Whether parents support it or not, corporal punishment remains illegal in Kenya.

The Constitution of Kenya, the Basic Education Act, 2013, and the Children Act, 2022 prohibit corporal punishment in schools. Teachers who physically punish learners risk disciplinary action by the Teachers Service Commission and may also face criminal prosecution.

Instead, the Ministry of Education encourages schools to use positive discipline strategies such as:

• Guidance and counselling.
• Positive reinforcement.
• Restorative approaches that help students take responsibility for their actions.
• Supervised community service within the school, such as cleaning or gardening.

The bigger question for parents

School discipline doesn’t begin and end in the classroom.

Many teachers argue that they are increasingly expected to correct behaviours that begin at home, while many parents feel schools should have enough authority to maintain order during learning hours.

As student behaviour evolves alongside changing parenting styles, social media influence and mental health challenges, perhaps the bigger question is not simply whether the cane should return.

Instead, parents may need to ask:

• What kind of discipline produces responsible adults?
• Can respect be taught through fear?
• Are schools receiving enough support from parents to reinforce discipline?
• If not the cane, what consequences should exist for serious misconduct?

Parents, what’s your take?

Do you agree with Oburu Odinga that the cane should be reintroduced in Kenyan schools?

Or do you believe schools should strengthen alternative disciplinary methods without returning to corporal punishment?

Join the conversation in the comments and on our socials. We’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences as parents.

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