13 arrested as eight schools hit by fresh wave of student unrest at Coast

Fire guts a dormitory at Kisii High School. [File, Standard]

A guard and 12 female students have been arrested in connection with Wednesday night's fire incidents in three schools in Taita Taveta County.

Kenyatta National School, Mwasere Girls and Moi Boys were affected in a fresh wave of infernos that have hit six schools in Taita Taveta County in the past days.

In total, at least eight schools have been affected across the coast region. Security teams and education officials were held in meetings yesterday to determine the motives.

Other schools affected in Taita Taveta are Dr Aggrey Boys National School, St Mary’s Boys, Lushangonyi, Mwasere High School and Mahoo Girls' School

In Kilifi County, Jilore Senior School and Mapimo Comprehensive Junior Day.

On Wednesday, dozens of students at Kenyatta were critically injured after they were beaten by the police when the fire broke out at the school.

Police lobbed teargas to disperse the rioting students who fled the school at night.

In the process, over 10 students sustained injuries as a result of the beating, while others injured themselves while jumping over the perimeter wall to escape from the police brutality and arrest.

Those injured were being treated at Mwatate Sub-County Hospital for treatment of injuries sustained during the melee.

Other students spent the night in the bush, while others walked on foot to Voi town on their way home.

“I can confirm that 10 students were rushed to Mwatate Sub-County Hospital with injuries,” said a parent who visited them.

At Mwasere, the female students are protesting over the installation of CCTV in the toilets and washrooms, saying the cameras are infringing on their privacy.

“The school management has overstepped its mandate by installing CCTV in the toilets and washrooms. It is wrong, and we have no privacy at all,” noted a student the Standard caught up with in Mwatate town yesterday.

A parent at the school said 12 students were picked up by police and are being interrogated at Mwatate Police Station.

Kenyatta Principal Dominic Maingi told parents at the school that a total of about 100 students have lost their property.

“We have a total of 1,600 students, and the properties of 100 students have been destroyed. The situation is calm, and we will not close the school, as security of the students is guaranteed,” said the principal yesterday.

Mr Maingu revealed that one student who is asthmatic suffocated after police lobbed tear gas and was rushed to the hospital for treatment, with scores of worried parents making enquiries about the safety of their children.

“We are suspecting a worker who has caused the fire, and police are handling the issue. Calm has been restored, and there is no cause for alarm,” he said.

The fire incidents come at a time when the county security committee is baffled by the recurrence of fire outbreaks.

County Police Commander Jonathan Koech confirmed the arrest of the night guard, saying police are holding the suspect in connection with the fire incident.

Sources said the suspect had closed the dormitory when students went for their night preps, and immediately, a fire broke out.

“We are holding the suspect who was around when the fire broke out, and once we are through with our investigations, we will take him to court,” Mr Koech told The Standard yesterday.

The police commander noted that the frequent fire outbreaks have become disturbing and an issue of great security concern, with the police doing everything possible to arrest the situation before it gets out of hand.

He disclosed that senior police officers from police headquarters are holding a crisis security meeting with the county security committee and all the OCSs in the region to strategise on how to effectively deal with the infernos that have left a trail of destruction in local learning institutions.

Multiple interviews reveal that the ongoing fire incidents have become more sophisticated, warning that insiders and people from outside could also be behind them.

Further, Mr Koech said they have advised all Board of Management (BOM) in the region to enhance vigilance and security in their respective schools in the wake of fire outbreaks.

“We cannot rule out people from outside being involved in the cause of the fire in schools,” stated the police commander.

On Wednesday last week, a dormitory at Dr Aggrey Boys National School in Wundanyi town was razed down in what police described as an inside job. The fire occurred during the day despite the heavy presence of police officers deployed at the school, which was recently elevated into a national school.

Sources said three hooded suspected arsonists are reported to have gained entry into the school and touched the dormitory housing 180 students, according to the closed-circuit television (CCTV) images.

The BOM closed indefinitely, and about 2000 students were sent home to pave the way for investigations following the fire incident that reduced a boys' dormitory accommodating about 180 students.

Questions now abound about how the masked suspects could have gained entry into the school and destroyed property despite the heavy presence of security personnel deployed last Wednesday night to guard lives and property.

At St Mary's, there are claims that the administration refused to let students watch an English Premier League match between Manchester United FC and Liverpool FC, which prompted them to riot and destroy property.

“We are still investigating the fire incident, but the information we have now is that students wanted to steal an examination, and the administration refused. Police and education officials are on the ground trying to get to the bottom of the fire incident,” said the police commander. 

On the other hand, parents have called for independent investigations, complaining that last year’s fire investigations had not been made public.

“We have been bearing the brunt of fire incidents, and we need an independent investigation to determine the cause of the fire, which will help to find a lasting solution to the perennial problem that has been badly affecting performance in national examinations,” Victor John, a parent at the school, told The Standard yesterday.

In addition, parents noted that the introduction of corporal punishment and harsh and brutal teachers, coupled with the frequent chasing away of students for lack of school fees, has compounded the problem in the once high-performing school.

“Why is the school administration sending students home for lack of a white handkerchief, spoons and plates, among other small items?" posed a parent.

The frequent fire incidents come as schools, particularly public institutions, face severe challenges, including inadequate funding, poor infrastructure, overcrowded classrooms, and teacher shortages. These are compounded by high student absenteeism, bullying, indiscipline problems, lack of learning materials and delayed government funding that has impeded high-quality education.

Other challenges included students' mental health being impacted by stress, academic pressure, neglect and other school-related issues.