Chaos at Tengecha Boys: Dormitory Torched in Night of Student Unrest

Tengecha Boys High School descended into chaos on Tuesday night after students went on the rampage, setting a dormitory ablaze in yet another troubling case of school unrest.

The fire, which broke out around 9:00 PM, quickly engulfed one dormitory before members of the public intervened and prevented it from spreading to other buildings. Eyewitnesses reported seeing thick smoke and flames rising from the school compound, prompting a swift response from nearby residents.

Local volunteers battled the blaze for over two hours, managing to contain it using water from the school’s storage tanks. Students' personal belongings were destroyed in the fire.

Amos Langat, a resident of Kapkatet who was among those who intervened, said the students initially resisted efforts to put out the fire.

“They wanted to see the fire consume all the buildings, but we overpowered them and used water from the school tanks to stop it,” said Langat.

Authorities are yet to establish the motive behind the students' actions, but the Ministry of Education has launched investigations.

Police and local residents also had to prevent a group of students from storming a nearby girls’ school during the chaos.

Following the incident, the school has been closed indefinitely. Preliminary reports estimate the damage to be worth millions of shillings.

Leaders from Bureti, led by area MP Kibet Komingoi and Kapkatet MCA, condemned the violence, attributing it to a growing trend of indiscipline among students.

“They have no excuse to destroy property. Decisive action will be taken against those responsible,” said MP Komingoi.

“This rising wave of unrest is hurting education and placing an unfair financial burden on parents who must now cover the cost of repairs.”

The legislator also suggested the Ministry of Education should reconsider its stance on corporal punishment.

“With this trend, I believe it’s time we brought back caning to restore discipline in our schools,” he proposed.

This is the second incident of school unrest in Bureti within just three days. On Sunday, students at Litein Boys High School also set fire to school property. In that case, the administration is proposing a fine of up to KSh137,000 per student to cover the cost of damages.