A growing wave of unrest in learning institutions has led to the indefinite closure of several schools across the country, with fresh cases reported on Tuesday evening.
The latest incidents were recorded in three boys’ schools; one in Uasin Gishu and two in Kericho County shortly after disturbances first broke out at Litein Boys High School in Bureti Constituency, Kericho.
In one of the schools, a dormitory was razed down, while another was ordered closed indefinitely until further notice.
The situation at Litein Boys is believed to have started after learners complained about poorly cooked rice served on Sunday night.
The discontent quickly turned violent, with students engaging in vandalism, destroying classrooms and other facilities before setting several structures on fire.
Police from Litein station and Bureti subcounty were called to the scene after the school watchman was overwhelmed and forced to abandon his post. By the time order was restored, four classrooms had been extensively damaged, windowpanes smashed, and both the computer lab and library had been reduced to ashes.
The growing tension in Kericho came just days after St George’s Girls School in Nairobi was shut indefinitely following a night of student unrest on September 7.
In a memo to parents and guardians, Chief Principal Assumpta Mwangi confirmed the decision, noting that learners had demanded to be released. She also indicated that investigations had been launched to establish the cause of the protest.
Meanwhile, Nyakeore Secondary School in Nyamira County was thrown into chaos on Friday, September 12, when students staged a protest against the transfer of their principal, Ken Kerage.
Carrying placards and chanting slogans, the learners marched to the county headquarters demanding that the Ministry of Education revoke the decision.
Authorities were forced to intervene as the group camped outside the administration block, pushing for an audience with county officials.
Police were eventually deployed to disperse the crowd and restore calm, while education officials moved to open dialogue in a bid to prevent further escalation.
The series of closures and protests highlight a worrying pattern of disorder in schools, with education authorities now facing mounting pressure to establish the causes and put measures in place to restore stability in learning institutions.
