![KENYA ORDERS LAST-MINUTE SCHOOL CLOSURES AHEAD OF POLLS](https://africaequity.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/A0BF092E-7D9A-4ADF-8563-6F8266744B2A-770x470.jpeg)
Renson Mwakandana
The unexpected shutdown of all Kenyan schools begun on Tuesday, according to Kenya’s education minister, in preparation for the nation’s national elections the following week.
The half-term vacation was originally slated to start on Friday, but Prof. George Magoha ordered the closure a week early and the start of courses again on August 11.
![](https://africaequity.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/CE8078C7-3558-4E7A-A390-A91266018F16.jpeg)
Many schools and parents were taken aback by the statement because some students had already begun their midterm tests.
In Kenya, a lot of public schools serve as voting places during elections.
The epidemic that caused schools to close for more than a year has had a significant impact on the current academic year.