Thieves raid primary school, steal food and learning materials in Shinyalu

School head teacher Dennis Shivonje said the theft occurred during a heavy downpour when no one was on the compound.

by HILTON OTENYO

Nyanza13 November 2025 - 07:04

In Summary

Shivonje expressed shock that the theft happened in broad daylight.
“If we had stone-walled buildings, we wouldn’t have lost this property,” he said, adding that the suspects gained entry by cutting through iron sheets on the staffroom and store.

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Unknown people broke into Lwanda FAM Primary School in Shinyalu constituency and made away with foodstuffs and learning materials in broad daylight on Monday evening.

The raiders stole maize, beans, exercise and textbooks, all valued at Sh120,000, during the incident.

School head teacher Dennis Shivonje said the theft occurred during a heavy downpour at around 4 pm, when no one was on the compound.

“I was informed while at home by an informer that thieves had invaded the school and were stealing. I rushed there only to find they had already left, leaving behind a trail of destruction,” Shivonje said.

He expressed shock that the theft happened in broad daylight. “If we had stone-walled buildings, we wouldn’t have lost this property,” he said, adding that the suspects gained entry by cutting through iron sheets on the staffroom and store. All classrooms at the school are constructed from iron sheets.

The incident was reported at Kakamega East Police Station, but by Wednesday, no progress had been made.

Kakamega East police commander Joseph Mukumbu confirmed investigations were ongoing. “We are wondering how an institution can be broken into in broad daylight. There was no watchman at the time of the break-in. The officer assigned to the case is finding it difficult to get information, which suggests the theft may have been organized by people familiar with the school,” he said.

The school has a population of 448 pupils, most of whom sit on the floor due to a lack of desks.

Shivonje said the school was established by the Friends Church in 1954 but later collapsed due to various challenges. It was revived in 2015 and subsequently taken over by the government.

He added that although area MP Fred Ikana had pledged to construct eight classrooms, the project has since stalled.

School PTA chairman Benson Makhalasia said the institution has never received government capitation since its revival.

“The school operates on payments made by parents, even though the head teacher has consistently uploaded student details on the NEMIS portal,” he said.

“We fear parents may transfer their children to other schools where they can benefit from government capitation,” he added, lamenting that the school has been forgotten by the government.

Makhalasia further noted that the iron-sheet classrooms pose safety risks, with learners frequently sustaining cuts. He also said teachers and pupils are forced to share a few pit latrines, which are inadequate for the population.