St Stephens Girls School closed after attack on journalists

Parents pick their daughters at St Stephens Girls Secondary School in Machakos on June 4, 2019. The Ministry of Education closed the school until June 11 to pave way for investigations into the attack of KTN journalists. PHOTO | STEPHEN MUTHINI | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Parents who had turned up at the school after learning of the incident were allowed to go home with their daughters.

  • Ms Gichana also directed the school administration to inform other parents to pick their daughters this morning. 

St Stephens Girls Secondary School in Machakos has been closed and students sent on an early mid-term break as probe into the Monday attack on KTN journalists continues.

The closure of the institution in Kyumbi, Machakos County, was announced by Ministry of Education Assistant Director of Quality Assurance Alice Gichana after leading a team of officials from the ministry to inspect the school on Tuesday.  

PICK DAUGHTERS

Parents who had turned up at the school after learning of the incident were allowed to go home with their daughters.

Ms Gichana also directed the school administration to inform other parents to pick their daughters this morning. 

"We will allow you to go home with your children and those whose parents are not here, the school will call them to pick their children early (Wednesday) morning,” said Ms Gichana.

The parents were also told to ensure that the students report back to school on June 11.

The school came under scrutiny after students, who were allegedly acting on their principal's instructions, pelted KTN journalists Carolyne Bii and Boniface Magana with stones.

SCHOOL FEES

The journalists had gone to the school to find out the whereabouts of a student who did not return to school after being sent home for school fees.

The journalists were accompanied by Ms Mary Mukami, the missing student's mother.

The school Principal John Kyalo, who declined to answer questions from the journalists, allegedly ordered the students to "stone the journalists for tarnishing the good name of the institution.”

Mr Kyalo was arrested and charged with assault, incitement to violence and malicious damage of property in a Machakos court on Tuesday.

He denied the charges and was, however, released on a Sh1 million bond and a surety of similar amount.

The case will be mentioned on June, 18 2019.