Public secondary schools in Kenya have in the recent past experienced several unrests, a situation that has threatened the fabric that holds them together. For quite some time, there have been reported cases of arson attacks and other forms of school violence in public secondary schools in Kenya. The incidences of violence have resulted into injuries, loss of property and sometimes loss of lives. In spite of the tough measures meted out on the students who are found to be involved in such acts, not much has been achieved. Using data collected from a sample of 341 public secondary school students and 88 teachers drawn from a survey of 22 public secondary schools in Nairobi County, the paper has identified various forms, causes and perpetrators of violence in public secondary schools in Kenya. The paper has argued that the earlier the perpetrators, forms and causes of violence are identified and mitigated through acquisition of knowledge and skills on peace education, the more likely the risks will be eliminated to enable the learners to embrace peace values and peaceful coexistence in the community. The study found out that school violence occurs in the form of verbal abuses, physical fights, bullying, and arson attacks. It also emerged that violence occurred during meals, social events and on the way going home from school and that the main perpetrators included classmates, prefects and even teachers. Key contributing factors to school violence were competition for resources, political differences, sexual discrimination and non-tolerance to cultural diversity. The paper concluded that the more effectively the peace values are inculcated into students in public secondary schools, the better well behaved the students are likely to become; hence no or limited school unrests will be experienced.

The prevalence of school violence (SV) in public secondary schools in Kenya has resulted into injuries, loss of property and sometimes death. Penalties meted out on students ranging from fines on students, suspension or expulsion of students from school has been introduced in vain. Several commissions of inquiry have also been put in place to address this issue but not much has been achieved. Violence negatively affects students hence the need to identify ways of mitigating school violence. This study argues that to a large extent, school violence in public secondary schools is due to either the absence or limited use of transformative pedagogy (TP) which provides the learners with an opportunity for critical thinking, enables behavioural change and the inculcation of values hence the attainment of peaceful coexistence amongst students. Using Mezirow's Transformative learning theory, the study adopted a Mixed Method Research methodology in which data was drawn from 426 respondents comprising 341 students and 85 teachers in 22 public secondary schools in Nairobi County, 28 Key informants and 7 Focus Group Discussions (FGDs). Data analysis was done using SPSS and N-vivo analysis techniques. The study found out that discussion groups and role play were the major learner centred teaching approaches used in the schools. The paper concluded that effective use of transformative pedagogical approaches positively influences behaviour change in students hence the attainment of a non-violent school community. The study recommended a review of the secondary school curriculum to adopt transformative teaching approaches as opposed to teacher centred learning.