Mukumu Girls tragedy: Parents meeting turns chaotic as police lob teargas

A meeting to discuss the reopening of Sacred Heart Mukumu Girls High School turned chaotic forcing police to disperse the gathering with teargas.

The meeting had resolved that the school will reopen on May 2.

Trouble started after parents insisted that cereals and other foodstuffs in the school stores be destroyed in their presence before the school reopened.

Their demand was turned down by the Western Regional Commissioner Irungu Macharia who chaired the meeting.

“We must follow the procedure which cannot allow the food to be destroyed today,” he said.

It was at that juncture that the parents booed the commissioner.

He then left in a huff.

Parents attempted to break into the store and destroy the food themselves forcing the police to disperse them by lobbying teargas canisters at the rowdy parents.

No injuries were reported during the fracas.

The meeting was attended by Kakamega senator Boni Khalwale, Kakamega woman MP Elsie Muhanda and Shinyalu MP Fred Ikana.

Senior TSC officials and the regional director of education Jerald Obiero were also present.

Khalwale supported the parents saying the food, worth Sh6.4m, should be burnt to ensure it does not find its way to students’ plates when the school reopens.

He said that the food was contaminated and should not continue being stored in the school stores when students are in school.

Muhanda said that parents were major stakeholders in the school and should be listened to.

The school was closed following the death of three students and a boarding mistress following an outbreak of diarrhoea.

The government confirmed that the deaths at the school were caused by typhoid-causing bacterial salmonella.