St. Mary’s Ukwala High School in Siaya County has been closed indefinitely after students went on the rampage over claims of poor quality of maize flour used to prepare ugali.
The students went on strike as they criticised the school's management over the failure to listen to their pleas.
The students broke classroom and office windows before staging a walkout to the nearby Ukwala centre to express their frustrations at the education offices.
Siaya County Education Director Leornard Kabaki led a meeting on Tuesday midmorning that resolved to close the school as investigations continue.
Kenyans.co.ke spoke to one of the affected parents who was on her way to escort her son back to school after he had been home due to fee arrears, only to be met with unexpected news of the school's closure.
The parent expressed frustration, noting that her son and other students had previously raised concerns about the poor quality of meals, particularly the maize flour.
"My son was home for fee-related issues; however, while escorting him to school, I was surprised to be met with his colleagues who had been sent home. I was forced to take him back home," she recounted.
There is uncertainty over when the school would reopen, even as parents remained worried about the safety of their children and their academic progress amid the unrest.
A similar incident occurred on February 10 this year, where learning activities at Nakuru High School were suspended indefinitely after students went on a rampage.
The students destroyed school property within the institution over a string of grievances, mainly revolving around the food situation.
Before the authorities intervened in the strike that lasted six hours, the students caused havoc, destroying many amenities, including the administration block, classrooms, and dormitories.
Interestingly, the angry boys also broke into the dining hall and storage room, taking food, with reports indicating that some students began eating the items they had taken.
