Larmudiac school: Outrage as boys languish at home while girls continue learning

St Joseph Larmudiac High School, once a beacon of balanced co-education, is now grappling with a crisis, after male students remained home for five straight months due to repeated unrest, while female students continued with their learning uninterrupted.

The crisis has ignited parent uproar and raised serious questions about the future of the school and the leadership of Chief Principal Herman Ndung’u.

Since Ndung’u’s appointment mid-last year, the school has witnessed an alarming five strikes. The first, sparked by alleged food rationing, was followed by further protests some turning destructive causing damages worth Sh 4. 5 million.

While the boys were sent home, the girls continued learning, further deepening the educational gap and suspicions of bias.

In a charged meeting held on school grounds on May 12, parents, teachers, and county education officials convened to address the mounting crisis.

Tensions ran high, with numerous parents demanding accountability and action.

Among them was Abel Miyogo, father of a form four student, who expressed outrage at being asked to pay heavy fees despite no learning going on for the boys.

“We were told to pay Sh 22,000 in fees, Sh 1,500 in remedial charges, and Sh 4,500 for third term strike damages just to bring our children back,” Miyogo says “Now this term, they want Sh 13,000 in fees, Sh 10,000 in damages, plus remedial fees again. My son did not seat for his form three third term exam nor the form four first exam. Is this a school or a money-making business?”

Another parent, Pauline Lopker, had already taken matters into her own hands, opting to transfer her Form Two son to a different school.

“It was painful seeing my son stuck at home for five months while his other siblings leave for school every day,” she says. “Five months is no joke for a child I am investing in. Enough is enough.”

In an interview Njoro Sub-County Director of Education, Karango George, acknowledged the gravity of the situation.

He confirmed that the Ministry is reviewing the leadership concerns but reminded parents that principal transfers follow established procedures at the national level.

“The school has been running as a mixed school since 1980. The new principal has come and he has said he does not want boys in the school. Changing all that is not possible, because other principals were there and they were able to manage. Why can’t he?" he asks.

Mr Karango emphasizes that steps are being taken to compress the syllabus, particularly for Form Four students, with a completion target of August.

He notes the Ministry has also outlined a phased return plan: Form Two and Form Three boys will report back to school on Wednesday, while Form Four students are expected to resume on Thursday.

For now, parents have their eyes on the Ministry of Education and whether it will intervene more decisively to restore order and equity at St. Joseph Larmudiac High.