Wambua, Mwongeli MercyNjogu, Irene N.2025-10-142025-10-142024-09Mwongeli, M. W., & Njogu, I. N. (2024). Adherence to school safety and its relationship to students’ performance in Machakos County, Kenya. International Journal of Innovative Research and Advanced Studies (IJIRAS), 11(9). ISSN: 2394-4404.2394-4404https://ir-library.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/31718Journal ArticleThe aim of this study was to examine the relationship between school safety and the academic performance of secondary school students in Machakos County, Kenya. The objectives of the study were to: establish the status of school safety in public secondary schools in Machakos County, examine how safety in schools impinges on the learning process, and establish whether secondary school students’ perception of safety in school correlates with their academic performance. The study used a mixed methods research approach. The targeted respondents were all the 84,800 students, 2,954 teachers, and 332 principals in the 332 public high schools in the County. The research utilized stratified random sampling method to select 400 students, 40 teachers and 20 principals, leading to 460 participants. Data was obtained using students’ questionnaires, teachers’ questionnaires, and principals’ interview schedules. Quantitative data was analyzed using correlation analysis, frequencies, percentages, mean and standard deviations. Qualitative data was analyzed thematically using content analysis. The study found that, while the respondents generally perceive certain aspects of school safety positively, there are notable areas of concern that warrant further attention and intervention to enhance overall safety and well-being in secondary schools, including inadequate toilet facilities, overcrowded dining halls, and the absence of comprehensive education on drug and alcohol abuse. Results indicated a moderate positive correlation between students' perception of school safety and their academic performance (r = 0.136, p < 0.05). Recommendations include enhancing safety protocols, increasing stakeholder involvement, and investing in technology to enhance school safety. The study findings could be useful to policymakers, principals and tutors by identifying measures that may be utilized to improve school safety for the wellbeing of students in schoolsenArticle