Jomo Kenyatta Boys High School in Bahati, Nakuru County, has closed again after fresh unrest at the institution on Wednesday night, September 2.
Tear gas and gunshot sounds were reported during the incident as police were called in to restore calm after students staged a protest.
Fires were also reported at the school, with classrooms and learning materials destroyed during the unrest.
Videos circulating online showed Jomo Kenyatta students shouting at the police as fire razed buildings in the school.
Jomo Kenyatta Boys High School Closed After Night of Tear Gas, Gunshots and Fires
Amid the darkness, school guards could be heard urgently calling for water as they tried, largely in vain, to put out the spreading flames.
Images obtained from the aftermath showed classrooms burnt down completely, with tattered remains of student books and papers scattered among the ashes.
Some parents arrived at the school after learning about the unrest. This is the fourth time the school has experienced unrest this year, with parents calling on the Ministry of Education to intervene and find a lasting solution.
The latest incident comes less than two months after the school was closed indefinitely in July following student unrest that damaged several facilities.
On July 13, the school was shut after a fire destroyed its administration block and other facilities, including the principal’s and deputy principal’s offices, staffroom, library and computer laboratory.
Police said preliminary investigations indicated that the fire may have been deliberately set.
Fresh Unrest Raises Questions After Previous School Closure
The July incident was also linked to unrest among students, with reports indicating that some learners had been unhappy after they were denied permission to attend an academic function at the neighbouring Jomo Kenyatta Girls High School.
At the time, the school was closed indefinitely, and students were sent home as authorities launched investigations into the incident.
Two students were injured during the unrest and property of unknown value was destroyed.
Each student had been made to pay a Ksh4,400 damages fine over that previous incident, only for fresh destruction to strike the institution again.
Also Read: Fire Breaks Out at School, Destroys Bus and Several Buildings
The cause of Wednesday night’s latest protest remains unclear.
Initial reports have linked the unrest to a disagreement over students attending an event at a neighbouring school, although authorities have yet to establish the circumstances that triggered the latest disturbance.
The renewed unrest has raised fresh concerns about security and discipline at the institution, which has now faced two major disruptions in less than two months.
Police were deployed to the school to contain the situation and prevent further destruction as investigations into the latest incident continue.
Authorities are yet to release a detailed account of the damage caused during the latest unrest or provide a timeline for the reopening of the school.
Also Read: Jomo Kenyatta Boys High School Set on Fire
Ogamba Announces Multi-Stakeholder Team to Address School Unrest
The renewed unrest comes amid government efforts to address increasing cases of student unrest and school fires that have disrupted learning in secondary schools across the country.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba announced in June that the government would establish a multi-stakeholder team to address the growing problem.
Speaking during an event in Meru County on Sunday, June 28, Ogamba said the team would bring together parents, teachers, religious leaders, school sponsors and government officials to find lasting solutions to student unrest.
According to Ogamba, the team would examine the root causes of student unrest and recommend measures to restore discipline and improve the learning environment in schools.
“We’ve agreed that we are going to form a multi-stakeholder team to discuss the issues that are affecting our students in all our schools,” Ogamba stated.
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