St. Monica’s Girls High School in Kitale, Trans Nzoia County, has been closed indefinitely on Sunday, September 22, 2024.
A video shared across various social media platforms shows several students carrying school bags and hurriedly walking out of the school’s main gate, while parents and guardians wait patiently to pick them up.
Reports indicate that the students kicked off demonstrations demanding the transfer of their school principal Madam Grace Onyango.
Parents with students at the institution have been advised to contact their class teachers to ensure the kids get home.
According to reports, the students accused the principal of poor leadership, mishandling school funds, and fostering a hostile learning atmosphere.
It is also claimed that students expressed their anger as a result of allegedly having not taken supper for the past three days amongst other reasons.
St. Monica is the latest school to be closed indefinitely after several others were shut down due to student unrest.
Also read: Dagoretti High School Closed Indefinitely
Recently, Dagoretti High School in Nairobi County was closed indefinitely following an overnight student unrest that occurred on September 15.
The decision comes after reports of a scuffle that resulted in the hospitalization of 11 students.
Police officers deployed at the institution indicated that the students clashed over a basketball match they were playing.
The clash involved Form One and Form Four students.
Following the incident, the school administration was forced to send the fighting students home, while those injured were admitted to various hospitals.
TSC Addresses Unrest in Schools
The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) CEO Nancy Macharia on September 13 issued directives to schools amid rising fire incidents and unrest.
Macharia directed school principals and headteachers to take proper measures to ensure the safety of the learners and institutional property.
Also read: Autopsy Reveals How 21 Endarasha Pupils Died in Fire Inferno
According to her, some school heads had failed to enforce the provisions of the Safety Standards Manual for Schools, showing laxity in complying with the government-issued administrative circulars.
School Fires in Kenya
In recent weeks several schools have suffered, and property destroyed by fires.
Ortum Boys High School is the latest case on September 9, adding to the list of several other schools that have burned.
Other schools include Bukhalalire Secondary School located in Busia County and Njia Boys High School in Meru County, where no casualty was reported.
Endarasha Academy suffered the most after a school fire left 21 students dead and others injured.
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