100 students held as dorm fires spark crisis in schools
Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i addresses reporters at Jogoo House in Nairobi on June 28, 2016. Appearing before the Senate's Education Committee on July 19, 2016, he sought to shift the blame for school chaos to headteachers as police arrested 109 students in connection with destruction of school property. PHOTO | WILLIAM OERI | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- In Murang’a County, dormitories at Kibutha Girls and Kiruri Secondary schools were burnt down.
- In Kisii, at least 40 students, among them 12 girls, were arrested over the attacks targeting schools in the county.
- In Masaba South, two boda boda operators and five students were arrested for colluding in the burning of a dormitory at Bong’onta Secondary.
- In Lamu, police said they were holding 10 students from Mokowe Mixed Secondary School, saying they caught them trying to set their school ablaze.
- In Narok, eight students of Ntulele Secondary were charged with attempted arson and released on a Sh30,000 bond each.
Police on Tuesday rounded up 109 students as 45 others were charged in court in a government crackdown on a wave of arson attacks that has hit public boarding schools countrywide.
Those taken to various courts across the country were charged with being in possession of petrol, conspiring to start fires and wilful destruction of property.
This happened as Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i sought to shift the blame for the school chaos to headteachers, whom he accused of failing to put in place “coherent and focused structures for engagement in schools.”
He also cited lack of harmony between some principals, their deputies and teachers when he appeared before the Senate Committee on Education on Tuesday.
“We have seen only dormitories and headteachers’ offices going up in flames. There could be a reason for this and which could include attempts to escape accountability questions,” said Dr Matiang’i as the chaos continued, with three more schools being hit by unrest on Tuesday.
In Murang’a County, dormitories at Kibutha Girls and Kiruri Secondary schools were burnt down, while students at Kirogo Secondary smashed classroom windows before they were dispersed by police.
In Kisii, at least 40 students, among them 12 girls, were arrested over the attacks targeting schools in the county.
In Masaba South, two boda boda operators and five students were arrested for colluding in the burning of a dormitory at Bong’onta Secondary, while five others were seized over a similar attack on Itibo Boys.
STUDENTS LOCKED UP
Police said they had arrested two students at Igorera Secondary in Kisii South and that they would take them to court on Wednesday to answer charges of attempted arson.
Eight others from St Mary’s Nyamagwa Girls High School were charged in Ogembo, where they were joined by 10 boys from Sameta Secondary School.
In Bomachoge, three students of Omobera Secondary were locked up by police while in Nyamira, five others were charged with plotting to set Nyagokiani Secondary on fire.
In Lamu, police said they were holding 10 students from Mokowe Mixed Secondary School in Lamu West, saying they caught them trying to set their school ablaze last weekend.
County Commissioner Joseph Kanyiri said two more students were on the run and were being sought by police.
In Kitui County, five students of St Lukes Boys High School were taken to court and charged with unlawful possession of four litres of petrol. They were released on a Sh60, 000 bond each until December 28, when their case will be heard.
In Elgeyo-Marakwet, six of 11 students of St Francis Kimuron Secondary caught with petrol were charged in a court in Iten and denied that they conspired to set their school ablaze.
They were released on a Sh80,000 bond each or a surety of Sh10, 000 until August 3, when the case will be heard.
CONSPIRING TO START FIRE
In the same county, 26 students of Lelboinet Secondary were arrested for conspiring to start a fire, having been with five litres of petrol.
In Nakuru, three students of Kambala Girls Secondary School were charged with burning down one of the school’s dormitories. The Form Two girls were accused of causing the destruction of property worth Sh3 million.
In Narok, eight students of Ntulele Secondary were charged with attempted arson and released on a Sh30,000 bond each.
In Naivasha, police arrested 18 students who they said had planned to burn down two dormitories at Kiambogo Secondary School.
Kieni MP Kanini Kega called for the reintroduction of corporal punishment in schools, saying indiscipline was quickly getting out of hand.
“I don’t see the need to form such teams or task forces; the answer is simply reintroduce caning in all learning institutions and things will work out,” he said while addressing residents of Mweiga town in his constituency.
Dr Matiang’i told senators that cases of unrest had been reported in Kericho, Meru, Kisii, Machakos, Tharaka-Nithi, Embu, Uasin Gishu, Nyamira, Kitui, Nakuru, Migori, Siaya, Murang’a, Bungoma and Kiambu.
Story by Ouma Wanzala, Martin Mwaura, Aggrey Omboki, Elgar Machuka, Kalume Kazungu, Boniface Mwangi, Thomas Waita, Philemon Suter, Eric Matara, George Sayagie, Magdalene Wanja and Macharia Mwangi.
