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Two Homa Bay KCSE candidates sent home for allegedly speaking in Dholuo

Headteacher says students violated school language policy, also poke in Dholuo in front of visitor.

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by ROBERT OMOLLO

Nyanza13 October 2023 - 09:30
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In Summary


  • The boy was accused of trying to incite other students after going against the school rules and regulations on language use.
  • The headteacher said the students would be granted a fair hearing as he described the issue as a minor offence that will be sorted out.                                 
Lala Secondary School bus in Homa Bay Town constituency

Two KCSE candidates at Lala Mixed Secondary School in Homa  Bay Town constituency have been sent home after they allegedly spoke in Dholuo.

The female and male learners were suspended on the grounds that they spoke in their mother tongue in the school.

The female student was first suspended for uttering some words in Dholuo while the male student was sent home for allegedly translating and reading loudly a leave-out sheet in his mother tongue.                               

The boy was accused of trying to incite other students after going against the school rules and regulations which bar them from speaking in their mother tongue.

Both have been home for two weeks with their parents expressing worries that they will get low grades in the coming Kenya Certificate of Secondary School Education.

The female student was suspended on September 28 when an official from the Ministry of Education was in the Lala secondary school.

According to school Principal Kennedy Nyamolo, the student violated school policy which demands that while within the school compound, the official language of communication for students is English.

 “There is a language policy in the school which all students know. The suspended students violated the rule and spoke in Dholuo in front of a visitor,” Nyamolo said.

The female student was later given a notice to send her home.

Evelyn mother to the female student said she is concerned that her daughter may fail to get a good grade following her suspension.                     

“They are in a critical moment and no time should be wasted,” Evelyn said.

The school management has now summoned the parents of both students to appear before them on October 17.

Nyamolo said they will be granted a fair hearing as he described the issue as a minor offence that will be sorted out.                             

“The matter will be sorted out to enable students to return to school. They will proceed with their preparations for KCSE exams,” Nyamolo said.       

The matter emerged after human rights activist Evans Oloo wrote a letter to Homa Bay County Education Director Eunice Khaemba to intervene.                                                                    

The letter was copied to the county commissioner Moses Lilan.  Oloo accused the school management of abuse of office.

Khaemba said they had received the complaints and sent officials to investigate the issue.                                                                        

“Investigations are underway and we’ll take appropriate action after the report is out,” Khaemba said.  

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