Jomo Kenyatta Boy’s school parents demand transfer of principal after series of unrest

Parents of students at Jomo Kenyatta Boy’s Senior High School in Nakuru have demanded the immediate transfer of the school principal following a second student unrest that left sections of the school destroyed by fire, barely two weeks after a similar disturbance.

The latest incident occurred on Monday morning when students allegedly torched several school facilities, including the administration block, classrooms, library, the computer laboratory and school offices, causing extensive destruction and disrupting learning.

The unrest has sparked outrage among parents, many of whom accuse the school administration of failing to address grievances that may have contributed to the repeated incidents. They now want the Ministry of education to intervene and institute changes in the school's leadership before learners are allowed to return.

Alex Njoroge, who is a parent and also a neighbour to the school, said residents were alerted by commotion coming from the institution before rushing to the scene to help.

"We started hearing screams from around the school and immediately rushed there. However, when we arrived, the gates had been closed, making it difficult for anyone to enter and assist. It took the intervention of police officers before we could gain access to the compound," Njoroge said.

According to Njoroge, the fire spread rapidly, reducing several key facilities to ashes.

"The administration block, staff offices, library, computer laboratory and several classrooms have all been destroyed. This is one of the oldest schools in this area and has educated generations of students. It is painful to see years of investment and development destroyed within a few hours," He Noted.

Another Parent, Ngugi Maina said the destruction would have long-term consequences for learning, adding that rebuilding the damaged infrastructure would require millions of shillings and could delay the reopening of the school.

"I don't even know how long it will take before this school can function normally again. The damage is enormous, and the cost of rebuilding will be very high," Ngugi said.

The parents questioned why preventive measures were not taken despite the school experiencing unrest only a few weeks earlier. They argued that warning signs had been evident and should have prompted immediate intervention by the school management and education officials.

"We are demanding that our children be transferred from this school. We have lost confidence in the current administration. This is the second unrest in less than two weeks, and we cannot continue exposing our children to such an environment," said Wainaina Maina, a parent at the school.

Maina also appealed to the government to cushion them from the financial burden that may arise from replacing damaged school property and meeting additional requirements once learning resumes. He noted they have already paid over Sh 4,000 from the previous strike and will be forced to pay more seeing the damage at the school currently.

They further called on the Ministry of Education to investigate the circumstances surrounding the repeated unrest and implement lasting solutions to restore discipline and stability at the institution.

However, Nakuru County Teachers Service Commission (TSC) Director Geoffrey Chemos said his office had not received any formal complaints against the school principal.

"We have not received any complaint about the school principal, both from the students and parents. We request not to comment on the matter further until we look into the matter," Chemos said.

Nakuru County Director of Education Victoria Mulili confirmed the incident, saying education officials and security agencies are at the school assessing the situation and investigating the cause of the unrest.

She said the students would be released to their parents as investigations continue.

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