Litein Boys High School in Kericho County has been shut down after a strike erupted on Sunday night, leading to the destruction of property whose value remains unknown during the violent protests that shook the school.
Reports indicate that the chaos resulted in significant damage to several important facilities, with students specifically targeting the principal’s office, laboratory equipment, and the windows of the administration block during the overnight unrest.
The full extent of the damage became clear on Monday morning when education officials and members of the Board of Management gathered for an emergency meeting at the bus park to evaluate the situation and decide on the next steps.
It seems that the strike was sparked by a disagreement between students and staff after the students were denied the chance to watch a Sunday Premier League match featuring Arsenal and Manchester City. This restriction reportedly fueled frustration among the football fans in the student body, leading to a wave of unrest.
By the time this article came out, the full reasons behind the boys’ decision to strike were still unclear. Officials from the Ministry of Education and the school’s Board of Management were deep in discussions about what had happened.
The school administration has decided to close the institution indefinitely, marking the third strike in just a few months.
Last term, the boys caused quite a stir, which was reportedly sparked by protests over the dining hall serving undercooked rice.
This latest closure comes only two weeks after St George’s Girls’ Secondary School in Nairobi was shut down due to overnight protests from students.
The girls’ school was closed on September 8 after chaos broke out over allegations of corporal punishment, with students voicing their anger after claims that a teacher had physically assaulted a student for stepping out of the dormitory to watch the lunar eclipse.
The Deputy County Commissioner of Dagoretti North Sub-County announced that security agencies and the school’s board made the decision to close St George’s following the unrest that unfolded overnight.
“We have made the decision as the security team and the board, and have declared the school closed. Further communications will be made later. Investigations on what transpired last night are ongoing,” the official stated at the time.
