A fire broke out at Jomo Kenyatta Boys High School in Bahati, Nakuru County, on Monday, July 13, following a student strike, destroying the school’s administration block and prompting an emergency response from firefighters and police officers.
Videos and images shared from the scene showed flames engulfing the building as thick smoke rose into the sky.
Security officers and firefighters were deployed to contain the blaze and restore order at the institution.
Witnesses said the unrest began within the school before the administration block was set on fire.
The extent of the damage was not immediately clear, although reports from the scene indicated that the building had been extensively damaged by the flames.
Jomo Kenyatta High School Hit by Unrest Again
The destruction of the administration block is the latest in a series of unrest incidents that have plagued Jomo Kenyatta Boys High School in recent years.
The school was among institutions affected by a nationwide wave of student unrest in June 2026, when learners reportedly went on the rampage and damaged school property, including classroom windows.
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The incident forced authorities to close the school indefinitely as education officials grappled with rising cases of indiscipline and property destruction in schools across the country.
The unrest placed Jomo Kenyatta Boys on a growing list of institutions that were facing serious disciplinary challenges.
The school had experienced similar challenges earlier.
In September 2024, the institution was again closed indefinitely amid growing student unrest during a period marked by disruptions linked to the nationwide teachers’ strike.
School principal Philip Waweru cited increasing pressure from students and rising tension within the institution as reasons for the closure.
Historical records also show that disciplinary problems are not entirely new at the institution.
During its early years as Jomo Kenyatta High School, which was then a mixed secondary school, indiscipline became so persistent that education authorities reportedly considered closing the school.
The situation was so severe that interventions were introduced at the management level, including the appointment of senior government officials to help restore order and stabilize academic performance.
Jomo Kenyatta Boys High School at a Glance
Jomo Kenyatta Boys High School is one of Nakuru County’s best-known public secondary schools.
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Located in Bahati Constituency on the outskirts of Nakuru City, the institution traces its origins to the former Jomo Kenyatta High School, which was officially opened by Kenya’s founding President Mzee Jomo Kenyatta on September 25, 1974.
The school was initially known as Ngwataniro Shule ya Jomo Kenyatta before later adopting the Jomo Kenyatta High School name.
The school was established through the efforts of former Nakuru North MP Dixon Kihika Kimani and was built on an expansive 78-acre parcel of land.
It was designed to serve a growing population in Nakuru and quickly became one of the region’s most prominent public boarding schools.
For more than four decades, the institution operated as a mixed secondary school, admitting both boys and girls.
As student enrolment grew, education authorities moved to separate the learners into distinct institutions.
The process culminated in the creation of Jomo Kenyatta Boys High School and Jomo Kenyatta Girls High School as independent schools, ending the decades-long mixed-school arrangement.
The school has produced thousands of graduates who have gone on to serve in business, education, public service and other sectors across the country.
Its strategic location in Nakuru, one of Kenya’s fastest-growing urban centres, has helped cement its place among the county’s key public secondary institutions.
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