Longisa Boys High School in Bomet County has been closed indefinitely after a night of chaos that saw property destroyed and hundreds of students dispersed by police.
The closure marks the latest incident in a worrying wave of student unrest sweeping across Bomet and Kericho counties.
According to witnesses, tension began on Sunday evening when students allegedly demanded a break from school, adding that what started as murmurs of discontent quickly turned into open defiance, with groups of students vandalizing classrooms, dormitories, and the dining hall.
“We had been asking for a break for some time and when we didn’t get an answer, some boys got angry and things got out of hand.” One of the students was overheard saying.
The police officers were quickly deployed to the school compound overnight to maintain order and remained on site until Monday morning.
When the situation escalated further, the officers dispersed the students. By mid-morning, groups of boys were seen loitering in Longisa Town after being sent away.
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“People started throwing stones at windows and shouting. It was scary,” said another student. “The police came in and told us to leave. We just picked our bags and walked out.”
Efforts to get a comment from the school’s principal, Robinson Langat, were unsuccessful by press time.
Longisa Boys now joins several other schools in Bomet County rocked by unrest, including Koiwa Boys High School, Kabungut Boys High School, Kamungei High School, Chebonei Girls Secondary School and Boito Boys High School.
The education stakeholders say the unrest is also affecting Kericho County, where Litein Boys, Kiptewit Secondary and AIC Litein Girls have faced similar disruptions.
The cause of the strikes remains under investigation, though sources cite exam pressure, lack of effective communication with students, and inadequate counseling services as possible triggers.
The parents and teachers’ unions are calling for calm and urging the Ministry of Education to step up interventions.
“We don’t want to destroy our future,” said a Form Three student. “We just want our voices heard.”
As authorities work to restore order, attention is now turning to how schools can rebuild trust with students and prevent further disruption to learning in the South Rift region.
By Our reporter
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