INFLUENCE OF PEER COUNSELLING ON DROPOUT AMONG PUPILS IN PUBLIC PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN MURANGA EAST SUB-COUNTY, MURANGA COUNTY, KENYA
Purpose: Primary school dropout in Murang’a East Sub-county is an ongoing phenomenon. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of counselling on dropout among pupils in public primary schools in Murang’a East Sub-county, Murang’a County, Kenya. The objective of the study was to establish the influence of peer counselling on dropout among pupils in public primary schools. 
Methods: The study adopted mixed methodology and thus applied concurrent triangulation research design. Target population comprised of 60 headteachers and 120 teacher-counsellors all totaling to 180 from which a sample of 124 respondents was obtained using Yamane’s Formula. Stratified sampling was used to create four different strata based on the number of zones in Murang’a East Sub-county. From each zone, three headteachers and 28 teacher-counsellors were selected using purposive sampling considering schools which have had cases of high dropout rates. This procedure enabled the researcher to sample 12 headteachers and 112 teacher-counsellors. A questionnaire was used to collect quantitative data from teacher-counsellors whereas an interview guide was used to collect data from headteachers. Qualitative data were analyzed thematically along the objective and presented in narrative forms. Quantitative data were analyzed descriptively using frequencies and percentages and inferentially using Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation Analysis with the help of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS-Version 23) and presented using tables. 
Findings: The study established that cases of dropout among pupils are very high in public primary schools. From the study findings, it is also evident that peer counselling is rarely adopted by teachers in public primary schools as a way of reducing cases of dropout among pupils. Thus, the teachers should partner with counsellors to train learners as peer counsellors which may enable them acquire basic skills to enable them help their colleagues with challenges of dropout. The Ministry of Education should ensure that every primary school has a trained teacher-counselor and counselling units. 
Unique Contribution to Theory, Policy and Practice: The study recommends that teacher-counselors should partner with counsellors to train learners as peer counsellors which may enable them acquire basic skills to enable them help their colleagues with challenges of dropouts.