There was unrest at Friends High School Silungai in Kakamega County this morning after students protested over one of their own being starved.
The students stormed out of their classrooms when word went round that the Deputy Principal had directed a student to be denied food during yesterday’s supper and today’s breakfast.
They demanded to know the mistake made by the student to warrant the punishment, accusing the Deputy Principal for habitually targeting students unfairly over personal differences.
The affected student is said to have gone to see the deputy head in the morning to confirm whether he actually instructed the cooks to deny him food.
“The teacher admitted the action but did not give reasons. The boy left the office in tears attracting the attention of fellow students,” said Kakamega County police boss Joseph Kigen.
He said the agitated learners stormed out of their classrooms and chased the teacher who fled.
“They then picked stones and other objects which they hurled at windows and roofs of classrooms and other buildings causing damages,” the police boss added.
Kigen said security personnel from Lugari Police Station were called in and managed to calm the situation. No injuries were reported.
The school Principal Isaac Nakwekwe said that he was caught off-guard denying knowledge about the punishment of denying students meals.
“We have restored normalcy but will look into the grievances of our boys to avert such unrest in future,” he told Education News.
The school’s Patron Farouk Kibet, who is President Ruto’s aide, condemned the incident and urged the institution’s administration to put proper dispute resolution mechanisms in place.
“Silungai is one of most disciplined schools in Lugari and entire Kakamega County and so I was shocked to learn about the unrest that would have been handled by the administration,” he said.
By Denis Lumiti
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