A Form Four student at St. Albertina Kiongwani Girls High School in Makueni has been readmitted unconditionally after being suspended over a chewing gum incident that sparked public concern.
According to the mother, the student had been sent home earlier for an indiscipline case, and while solving the issue, she was found with three pieces of “PK” chewing gum, further complicating the matter.
She was instructed to purchase three pieces of gum for the whole school, which would cost Ksh 16,800, a cost her mother, Virginia Maweu, could not afford. The disciplinary action attracted the attention of local leaders and education officials, prompting intervention to safeguard the learner’s right to education.
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After public outrage, Makueni County education officials, together with their counterparts from Mukaa Sub-County, convened a meeting with the school’s Board of Management, the principal, and the student’s mother. After lengthy deliberations, it was resolved that the suspension be lifted immediately and the student be allowed to resume her studies without any conditions.
The resolution brought relief to the family and the community, who had expressed concern that the punishment was excessive and risked jeopardising the student’s future.
The matter highlighted the need to balance disciplinary actions with students’ welfare. The ban on corporal punishment sparked the struggle. Article 29 of the Kenyan constitution guaranteed that every person has the right not to be subjected to violence, torture, or corporal punishment; Article 53 specifically ensured the protection of children from abuse, including corporal punishment.
By Joyline Chebet
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