Forty-seven parents were on Monday arrested for failing to take their children to school in Kwale county.
They were arrested a day after the Coast regional commissioner John Elungata raised the alarm over the low Form 1 intake in the region.
Kwale has performed poorly among all the coastal counties in ensuring all children transit from class eight to Form 1.
The region recorded 69 per cent success despite the nationwide 100 per cent transition campaigns.
County commissioner Joseph Kanyiri said the parents were arrested in various parts of the region after they failed to explain where their children were.
“The parents were not able to reveal the whereabouts of their children and where they have gone,” he said.
Eighteen of them come from Kinango constituency which leads in the vice.
The operation was conducted by a multi-agency team of deputy county commissioners, chiefs, school heads, village elders and police officers.
On Sunday, Elungata vowed to take action on the chiefs if they fail to ensure all 2020 KCPE candidates transit to secondary schools by Tuesday.
Over 22,000 students sat for the 2020 KCPE exams.
Kanyiri said the mop-up exercise is expected to gain pace on Tuesday morning and days to follow until every child has reported to school.
He urged parents to cooperate or rot in prison for violating the law.
“It is the responsibility of every parent to send children to school without hesitation. Anyone in conflict with that shall face the full force of the law,” he said.
The arrested parents will be arraigned and charged in a court of law on Tuesday.
The parents have, however, called on the state to ensure students get full sponsorship because of high poverty levels in the region.
Meanwhile, some secondary schools in the county are already full. This has forced students to learn in tents following the 100 per cent transition.
(Edited by Bilha Makokha)
