Chebwagan Boys High School in Bureti, Kericho County, has been closed indefinitely following student unrest that erupted on Sunday night.
According to media reports, the closure comes after students staged protests over issues linked to the school’s new administration.
According to education officials, the protests were sparked by dissatisfaction with changes introduced by the new administration, particularly the tightening of examination procedures during the last Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations.
The situation prompted intervention from authorities to prevent further escalation.
Students have been sent home after the Bureti Sub-County Director of Education, Beatrice Mochama, stepped in to restore calm at the institution.
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The Kericho County Director of Education explained that the unrest was triggered by an incident during last year’s examinations, where the new school administration declined to provide glucose to Form Four candidates.
This comes months after Litein Boys High School in Kericho County was closed following a strike where students destroyed property of unknown value.
According to reports, the rampage damaged several key facilities, with students targeting the principal's office, laboratory equipment, and window panes of the administration block during the overnight disturbances.
The extent of the destruction became apparent Monday, September 22, when education officials and members of the Board of Management convened an emergency meeting at the bus park to assess the situation and determine the next course of action.
However, sources have alleged that the strike stemmed from a disagreement between the students and the staff, after they were denied permission to watch a Premier League match between Arsenal and Manchester City.
The restriction reportedly triggered anger among football enthusiasts within the student body, escalating widespread unrest.
Two weeks before that, St George's Girls' Secondary School in Nairobi was shut down following overnight student protests.
The girls' school was closed on September 8 after disturbances erupted over allegations of corporal punishment.
Students expressing outrage after claims that a teacher had physically assaulted a student for leaving the dormitory to observe the lunar eclipse.
The Deputy County Commissioner of Dagoretti North Sub-County announced that security agencies and the school's board decided to close St George's following the overnight unrest.
"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.
