Jomo Kenyatta Boys School closed indefinitely after students riot

Jomo Kenyatta Boys Senior School has been closed indefinitely after students went on the rampage on Wednesday night.

The latest unrest is the fourth this year, raising concerns among parents over the administration’s handling of students’ grievances and the impact of the repeated disruptions of learning.

The closure follows an incident where their entertainment was abruptly interrupted by a contingent of armed police officers who stormed the school.

It was not clear who called the police as the school management declined to comment on the closure.

With Form Four students having less than two months before their national examinations, parents fear the unrest could further affect academic performance while also increasing the financial burden of paying for damages.

Daniel Muigai, a Form Four parent, said he feared being required to pay another damage fee after recently paying Sh11,500 following the previous demonstrations at the school.

“At this point, the school should just offer parents transfer letters because these strikes are affecting students’ performance. The school is underperforming and we are struggling to keep up with the damage fees,” said Muigai.

He said that parents had previously been asked to pay Sh4,500 following an earlier strike before being hit with another Sh11,500 bill after the latest incident.

“This third term fee is sh10,000, yet we have already paid Sh11,500 in damage fees as we were instructed by the school management,” he said.

Mirriam, a Grade 10 parent, attributed the repeated unrest partly to poor communication between the administration and the students.

The school recently acquired a new principal, who reported to the institution on Monday.

According to Mirriam, students had requested a two-hour entertainment session at night, which was approved by the administration.

The students were reportedly instructed to remain calm during the session.

However, the entertainment was disrupted at around 10pm when police officers arrived to disperse the students, said Mirriam.

Mirriam also revealed that police used tear gas and live bullets during the incident, resulting in injuries to some students.

The latest incident has left parents questioning how the school is handling student grievances and concerns, particularly with national examinations approaching.

Parents now want the school administration to address the underlying issues and ensure the repeated unrest does not further interfere with learning.