Nairobi, a city known for diversity, culture, and economic strength, is also home to thousands of young learners whose right to safety, dignity, and education must be unquestionable. Yet, over the past months, a growing concern has emerged among parents, teachers, and school administrators — the rising reports of school girls being harassed, intimidated, and in some cases physically harmed by youth groups believed to be operating within certain neighborhoods.

These reports have sparked worry not only within the education community but across society as a whole. Whether these youth groups are Somali, Kikuyu, Luo, Kamba, Burundian, Ethiopian, or of any background, the central truth remains the same: violence, harassment, and intimidation against children cannot be accepted under any circumstance.

This article does not paint entire communities as aggressors. Instead, it addresses a specific pattern of reported incidents involving groups of young men of Somali descent in certain Nairobi estates, while acknowledging that crime is not an ethnic trait, and many Somali families in Nairobi are peaceful, hardworking, and equally worried about this issue

Our responsibility — as educators, leaders, parents, security agencies, and citizens — is to act immediately, firmly, and intelligently. The safety of school girls must never be negotiated. Schools cannot function where fear replaces learning, or where girls walk with anxiety instead of confidence.

This article will explore the nature of the problem, its causes, documented incidents, societal dynamics, the psychological impact on girls, the role of parents and schools, and the responsibility of authorities to prevent escalation. Most importantly, we will examine preventive strategies, policy solutions, community engagement models, and actionable safety frameworks that can protect children today — and for years to come.

Because safeguarding girls is not just a school duty — it is a national obligation.

A Call For Safety  Addressing The Rise Of Somali Youth Harassment Against School Girls In Nairobi

1. Understanding the Problem: What Are Schools Reporting?

Several Nairobi schools, particularly girls’ institutions or mixed schools in Eastleigh, South C, South B, Kamukunji, Eastlands, Pangani, and parts of Kasarani, have raised alarms over increasing cases of harassment. Teachers report incidents where young men — often in loosely organized groups — linger around school routes, matatu stages, corner shops or within estate pathways where girls walk daily.

Common behaviors reported include:

• Verbal harassment and intimidation

• Following girls on their way home

• Attempts to force conversation or physical contact

• Snatching school bags or lunch money

• Cyberbullying and sexual threats through social media

• Cornering individuals in less monitored alleyways or shops

While not all incidents escalate to physical assault, many are deeply traumatic. A Form Three student from a Nairobi school described walking home every day “with her heart racing, hoping today will not be the day it gets worse.”

Fear is as damaging as harm itself.

Schools exist to educate — not to terrify. The moment children feel unsafe, learning breaks. That is where the crisis begins.

2. Why School Girls Are Targeted: Uncomfortable but Necessary Realities

Harassment against girls is not unique to Nairobi — it is global. The reasons are multi-layered:

✔ Gender-based vulnerability

Girls are often viewed as easier targets, less likely to fight back or report.

✔ Cultural patriarchal influence

Some youth adopt the belief that girls should be submissive or accessible.

✔ Lack of law enforcement visibility

Unmonitored spaces give confidence to offenders.

✔ Peer influence among idle youth

Group dynamics drive daring behavior and competition for dominance.

✔ Poverty and unemployment

Idle youth with no guidance often drift toward intimidation as expression of power.

✔ Silence of victims

Most girls do not speak up out of fear, shame, or mistrust in the system.

This is not “a Somali problem” — it is a behavioral and societal problem that happens to involve some Somali youth groups in reported incidents. The distinction matters. When we focus on ethnicity rather than crime, criminals hide behind identity politics.

3. The Psychological Impact: What This Does to Girls

Harassment is not just physical — it is emotional, mental and academic.

Girls develop:

• Fear of walking to school

• Decline in concentration and performance

• Depression, anxiety, self-doubt

• Reduced social confidence

• PTSD in severe cases

• Increased school absenteeism

A frightened student is not a learning student. Trauma hijacks the brain. Instead of focusing on mathematics, physics or literature, the mind becomes occupied by survival — not education.

4. Where Are the Parents, Community Leaders & Clerics?

Community leadership is the most powerful safety tool — stronger than police, stronger than school authority. Every parent, imam, pastor, and youth elder must speak firmly:

No culture, religion or ethnicity supports harassment of girls. None.

Somali leaders in Nairobi must take responsibility not as an admission of guilt, but as protectors of their community’s image and future.

We have seen many mosques in Eastleigh and South C speak boldly against youth misconduct — this must continue and expand. Parents must track their sons’ behavior. Neighbours must report suspicious groups. A community that protects girls protects its honour.

5. What Schools Should Do Immediately (Action Framework)

1. Identify unsafe zones & increase supervision

Map routes used by female students — deploy guards or patrol volunteers where necessary.

2. Establish a student reporting desk

Girls must have confidentiality, anonymity, and quick response.

3. Push for CCTV installation near school perimeters

Visibility discourages harassment.

4. Train teachers on trauma response

A girl reporting harassment must never be dismissed.

5. Work with local police stations

Regular patrol schedules during opening and closing hours.

6. Introduce empowerment self-defense programs

Girls trained in awareness and escape techniques become harder targets.

7. Engage community elders, clerics & youth mentors

Solve the issue before it grows into organized gang behavior.

6. Government Responsibility — What Must Change

Without state enforcement, change cannot be sustained.

The government must:

• Deploy security officers near vulnerable schools

• Penalize repeat offenders aggressively

• Introduce youth rehabilitation & employment programs

• Work with Nyumba Kumi and county leadership

• Support girls through counseling and legal protection

A nation that cannot protect its daughters has no future.

7. Role of International Human Rights Partners

Global attention brings accountability.

International organizations can:

• Fund community safety programs

• Support trauma counselling in public schools

• Sponsor awareness campaigns

• Pressure the justice system to respond fast

• Protect children through policy influence

Harassment is not just a Kenyan issue — it is a global human rights violation.

A Call For Safety  Addressing The Rise Of Somali Youth Harassment Against School Girls In Nairobi  (FAQ)

1. Are all Somali youth involved in harassment?

No. Only specific groups are being reported. Generalizing an entire community is harmful, inaccurate and unfair.

2. Why are school girls being targeted?

Because offenders perceive them as vulnerable, less confrontational, and less likely to report.

3. What should a girl do if she is harassed?

Report immediately to school authorities, parents, and if necessary, police. Silence protects the aggressor.

4. How can parents help?

Walk or escort children if possible, communicate openly, monitor emotional changes, and join school safety forums.

5. What can schools implement to reduce incidents?

CCTV, trained guards, safe route mapping, reporting desks, empowerment programs, and police collaboration.

6. How can the community be engaged?

Through religious leaders, estate committees, youth mentorship programs, and partnership with schools.

7. When should legal action be taken?

Immediately after a confirmed harassment incident — early response prevents escalation.

Conclusion

Our daughters deserve to learn freely, walk confidently, and exist without fear. We cannot stand by while harassment tries to silence them, intimidate them, and steal their futures.

Nairobi must rise together — parents, teachers, government, Somali community leaders, security departments, and international partners — to defend every child with courage and unity.

Safety is not a privilege — it is a right. And we must do everything in our power to protect it.