Fourteen students from Tenwek High School are currently in police custody after allegedly pelting police officers with stones. The officers had been deployed to the institution on Friday night to quell rising tension.
Tenwek High School Principal Mutali Chesebe confirmed the arrests on Saturday, noting that the suspects include 13 Form Three students and one Form Four student.
According to Chesebe, the school administration received intelligence early Friday evening that a section of the student body was plotting to set the school on fire. This prompted management to request police reinforcement. Upon arrival, the deployed officers were ambushed and attacked with stones by the students.
“We have 14 students in custody, and they are currently being questioned for pelting police officers who were deployed to the school last night,” Chesebe said.
Premeditated Unrest
The Principal revealed that signs of trouble emerged earlier in the day when graffiti was discovered on several toilet walls. The scripted messages demanded that the administration release the students to go home, accompanied by threats to burn down the school.
“During the day, we received information about messages that had been scripted on the walls of a number of toilets. We stayed alert and later deployed officers to keep watch and avert any ugly incidents. Sadly, the students retaliated by pelting stones at the officers. We have since narrowed down on the individuals responsible,” Chesebe explained.
Copycat Behavior
Chesebe noted that the students had not presented any formal grievances to the administration. School authorities suspect the unrest was fueled by copycat behavior, following a wave of strikes in neighboring schools.
The suspects had reportedly incited their peers, arguing there was no reason to remain in class while students in other institutions were striking and going home.
School Closed Indefinitely
Following the incident, the school has been closed indefinitely. Principal Chesebe confirmed that the decision was reached after extensive consultations with local stakeholders.
“I consulted the Regional Director of Education, the Board of Management (BOM), and local education officials before making the decision to close the school,” he said.
The Board of Management is scheduled to meet early next week to deliberate on the way forward and establish a formula for reopening. In the meantime, the Principal has urged parents to counsel their children while they are at home to ensure a smooth transition once the school recalls them.
