Former students of Alliance Girls High School have held peaceful demonstrations outside the school gates, demanding justice in the wake of a damning exposé that detailed allegations of sexual grooming and misconduct by a long-serving teacher.
The protesters — mostly alumni of the school — assembled outside the school gates on the cold and chilly morning of July 10, 2025, calling for the immediate arrest and prosecution of Mr. Peter Ayiro, a teacher and Christian Union patron in the school for the last 25 years.
Ayiro was suspended by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) following the publication of the damning allegations that exposed decades long grooming of young girls building onto sexual relationships.
The former students however insisted that the suspension of the teacher by TSC is not enough and that he must be permanently removed from any space involving young learners.
On placards bearing slogans such as “Ayiro Must Go” and “Protect Our Girls”, the alumni say the school failed to act on red flags and allowed the teacher to continue having access to students for years, even after internal concerns were raised by staff.
Despite notifying police of their intent to protest, the Kikuyu Police Station reportedly declined to ratify the notice, declaring the protest unlawful.
Organizers have since warned participants to brace for possible confrontation, advising them to prepare bail money, have legal counsel on standby, and carry basic medical supplies.
“The police have refused to ratify or receive our notice — this means our gathering will be deemed illegal. We must anticipate possible use of tear gas, police force, arrests, or running battles,” an internal memo shared by alumni organizers read.
The same communication outlined plans to begin the protest with a two-hour peaceful sit-down while singing solidarity songs.
Alliance Girls High School response
Meanwhile, Alliance Girls High School has responded by calling for dialogue.
The school administration has proposed engaging a delegation of 20 alumni as emissaries and requested two to three days to consider the way forward.
Citing ongoing investigations by the Ministry of Education and TSC, the school said it is constrained from making public pronouncements on the case at this stage.
Following the Africa Uncensored exposé, the TSC confirmed that Ayiro had been suspended pending investigations. The Ministry of Education is also actively collecting submissions from concerned parties via email, and both institutions have committed to pursuing the matter.
However, demonstrators say the official response has been slow and insufficient. Their message is clear: suspension is not justice. They want Ayiro prosecuted and permanently barred from teaching — and they want accountability from the school for allegedly enabling the misconduct.
The Background: Grooming Allegations and a System That Looked Away
The planned protest follows the publication of a four-year investigation by Africa Uncensored, which exposed a disturbing pattern of sexual grooming, emotional manipulation, and institutional silence at one of Kenya’s most elite national schools.
At the centre of the report is Peter Ayiro, a long-serving teacher who served as the Christian Union patron, drama club coach, and mentor to many students.
According to the investigation, Ayiro allegedly used his respected spiritual image to cultivate emotionally intense, and at times sexual, relationships with girls under his care.
Former students spoke of being given special privileges, receiving emotionally loaded compliments, and being drawn into exclusive mentorship circles that blurred boundaries.
Some said the teacher continued to communicate with them after graduation, eventually meeting privately — including at his house within the school compound — where interactions allegedly turned sexual.
The investigation further revealed that internal warnings raised in 2018 and 2021 were ignored.
Teachers admitted to noticing inappropriate closeness but were either afraid to speak up or felt it would be futile due to Ayiro’s proximity to school leadership.
His ties to a powerful religious network — including his father’s church, Kingdom Life Centre (KLC) — bolstered his perceived moral authority.
The report notes that some of Ayiro’s former students encountered him in evangelical spaces years later, only to realise others had similar experiences.
Disturbingly, one former student revealed that she was taken on a walk during the COVID-19 lockdown by Ayiro, which led to sexual contact in his car and later in his school residence.
Another said she was invited to spend the night at his house shortly after her 18th birthday under the pretext of preparing for a mentorship event — an encounter that also turned sexual.
This scandal follows a separate 2023 case at the school, where a night guard employed by a private firm, Ideal Security Company, was arrested for defiling a 16-year-old student. That case, too, highlighted critical safeguarding lapses, with the report being made a week after the incident.
Protecting Learners: Know Your Rights and Where to Report
Under Kenyan law, engaging in any sexual activity with persons under 18 — including grooming or emotional manipulation by teachers — is illegal.
The Sexual Offences Act in Kenya criminalizes abuse of authority by teachers or adults in positions of trust, and mandates a minimum imprisonment of 10 years. Consent from minors is also not legally valid, nor justified.
The law also recognizes institutional responsibility. If schools, church networks, or public bodies like the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) fail to act on safeguarding concerns, they may be held vicariously liable.
Children and learners facing abuse or inappropriate conduct can report to:
- – Parents, caregivers, and/ or guardians
- – Trusted teachers or school administrators
- – Regional TSC offices or Ministry of Education desks
- – Local police stations
- – Or call the Child Helpline 116, available toll-free and confidentially
