UPDATE: During a gathering early Monday morning, the Deputy County Commissioner, Dagoretti North Sub-County, declared the school indefinitely closed, a decision that was followed by cheers from both students and parents.
"We have made the decision with the security team and the board that we declare the school closed," Juma announced. "Further communication will follow." A school administrator also urged parents who wished their children to continue learning to consult with the office.
Police officers were forced to intervene as students from St George's Girls' High School in Nairobi went on strike over rampant corporal punishment at the school.
In video clips obtained by Kenyans.co.ke, the students of the school, which is located near the State House, were seen marching under the moonlight, with some even dressed in pyjamas, as they called out against the practice.
"Wanatuchapanga (they cane us)," they were heard repeatedly shouting as they marched on the streets.
"Why are they beating us for no reason?" another one mused, adding, "We want justice!"
Unconfirmed reports indicate that the riot was prompted by reports that one student had been assaulted by a teacher for going outside to view the "blood moon" that appeared last night.
To quell the conflict, police officers were called to the premises, with one of the clips showing a police officer resorting to physically pushing away the students as they seemingly overwhelmed the officers.
Reports indicate that parents of students at the institution also started pouring into the school to stop the strike that lasted well into the night.
On Monday morning, another video clip shared with this publication showed the students gathered outside as the school administration, along with parents and a heavy police presence at the premises.
However, the school administration has yet to issue any official statements over the matter or announce any closure.
Although corporal punishment is essentially banned and considered unconstitutional, it continues to be relatively normalised in most Kenyan schools.
It was first banned in 2001 in all settings, including schools, homes, and penal institutions, when the Children Act was passed to guarantee protection for children.
The legislation was later enshrined in the 2010 Constitution, firmly establishing a complete and unconditional prohibition and later confirmed by the Children Act of 2022, which closed any remaining legal loopholes and removed the "reasonable punishment" defence for parents.
