Five pupils were today injured when anti-riot police threw teargas canisters inside Meru Primary School.
The police allegedly lobbed about four teargas canisters with one exploding directly in a classroom leading to the collapse of the learners who had to be given prompt first aid to resuscitate them.
Following the incident, learning came to a standstill as parents were urgently called to pick their children.
The unfortunate incident came about as police officers tried to disperse residents who were protesting against Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza.
The school head teacher Ms Eva Gichuru condemned both the police and protesters for turning the learning institution into a battleground.
“Five pupils fainted, many were in tears but we gave them first aid and they responded positively. One of the canister exploded inside one class as lessons continued, choking many pupils,” she said.
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Today marked the third day of protests undertaken by residents demanding that embattled Governor Kawira Mwangaza vacates office following her recent impeachment.
The vibrant protests escalated outside the County headquarters, leading to significant traffic disruption along the Makutano-Meru town road as frustrated residents clashed with law enforcement.
Ms Gichuru said that the Police later informed her that lobbing tear-gassing at the school was not intentional but only meant to neutralize adamant demonstrators.
“I have called authorities who apologized and said it was accidentally thrown. The protesters jumped over the fence seeking refuge. This is when police followed to disperse them. I immediately instructed the watchman to open the gate and chase them away,” Gichuru told the press.
The school head appealed for calm and peace to prevail in the county.
Emergency responders from Red Cross provided first aid at the school grounds, while several affected students were transported to the hospital for further medical care.
By John Majau
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