More than 500 students at St. Crowley Secondary School Lukesi in Saboti Sub-county, Trans Nzoia, went on a rampage after allegedly missing meals for several days due to food shortages.
The learners, who staged protests accused the school administration of mismanagement that led to the lack of maize and beans supplies, demanding the immediate exit of Principal Augustine Raguli.
The students, angered by what they termed as “untenable learning on empty stomachs,” stormed out of the institution and marched towards the Ministry of Education (MoE) Saboti Sub-county offices.
Tension heightened after Principal Raguli, who had reportedly fallen ill, was granted sick leave, yet the students maintained their call: “The principal must go.”
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Officials from the MoE defended the school administration, saying the feeding programme had stalled while awaiting the release of capitation funds. Parents were also faulted for failing to support the institution with cereals in place of fees during the crisis.
Attempts to reach the Trans Nzoia KESSHA Chairman Bernard Masinde proved futile as his calls went unanswered, while KUPPET’s Eliud Wafula declined to comment, saying the matter was outside his jurisdiction.
The riot marks an unfortunate turn for Lukesi, a rising day and boarding school named after retired Kitale Catholic Bishop Maurice Crowley.
Only weeks ago, the school had made headlines for defeating county soccer giants St. Joseph Boys Kitale (JOBO) in the Saboti Sub-county preliminaries before later being bundled out after a replay appeal.
By Abisai Amugune
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