Several secondary schools have been forced to close indefinitely and are sending students home due to the ongoing teachers’ strike, which has made it difficult to maintain order in the schools.
Reports indicate that over the weekend, tensions rose and unrest spread among students after members of the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) entered several schools and forced out teachers who were still attempting to work.
As of Monday, several schools, including Jomo Kenyatta Boys Secondary School, Jomo Kenyatta Girls’ Secondary School, Nakuru High School, and Meru Secondary School, have shut down and started sending students home.
Machakos Boys National School also faced closure following suspected unrest among students.
The students reportedly demanded to be allowed to go home since there were no teachers available to conduct lessons.
In Eastern Kenya, schools such as Mitaboni ABC Girls in Kathiani sub-county, Masii Girls, Matungulu ABC, and Mtituni SA secondary schools have also been closed due to the strike.
Furthermore, on Sunday, two dormitories at Nyayo Girls Secondary and Makindu Girls High were destroyed by fires, which are suspected to have been caused by a lack of supervision due to the ongoing KUPPET strike.
The students involved were demanding to be sent home.
One concerned parent shared, “We received news early Monday morning that our children would be returning home because there were no teachers left at the school to teach and supervise them.”
This situation persists despite assurances from the Teachers Service Commission and school principals, who had previously assured parents that their children would be safe in school after the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) called off their strike earlier this week.
