A boys' school in Kericho county on fire following student unrest on Tuesday, September 23, 2025. /HANDOUTA wave of student unrest has forced the indefinite closure of several schools across the country, with fresh incidents reported on Tuesday evening.
At least three boys’ schools - one in Uasin Gishu and two in Kericho county - are the latest to be affected, following disturbances first witnessed at Litein Boys High School in Bureti Constituency, Kericho county.
A dormitory has been burned down in one of the schools with reports indicating that one school has already been closed indefinitely until further notice.
Although the cause of the latest riots remains unclear, the mayhem at Litein Boys was allegedly triggered by complaints over poorly cooked rice served to students on Sunday night.
The learners are said to have gone on a destructive rampage, vandalising classrooms and other facilities before setting a number of buildings ablaze.
Police officers from Litein police station and Bureti subcounty were called in after the students overpowered the school watchman, forcing him to flee.
By the time calm was restored, four classrooms had been badly damaged, windowpanes shattered, and the computer laboratory and library reduced to ashes.
The unrest comes barely days after St George’s Girls School in Nairobi was closed indefinitely following student disturbances on the night of Sunday, September 7.
In a memo to parents and guardians, Chief Principal Assumpta Mwangi confirmed the closure, noting that learners had demanded to be released.
The school’s management indicated investigations were under way to establish the cause of the protests.
Elsewhere, Nyakeore Secondary School in Nyamira County witnessed a dramatic protest on Friday, September 12, after students marched to the county headquarters to oppose the transfer of their principal, Ken Kerage.
Defying school authorities, the learners stormed out of the compound carrying placards and chanting slogans urging the Ministry of Education to rescind the decision.
County officials were forced to intervene as the students camped outside the administration block, demanding an audience.
Police were later deployed to disperse the protesters and restore order as education officials sought dialogue to avert further escalation.
The latest developments underscore a troubling trend of unrest in schools, with authorities now under pressure to investigate the triggers and restore calm in learning institutions across the country.
