Police in Kabete have launched a manhunt after a violent night raid at the Kabete Vet Lab Secondary School led to the death of two security guards.
The incident, which took place on the evening of Friday, October 17, coincided with the end of the rehearsals for the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE).
Preliminary reports indicate that the group stormed the school under the cover of darkness, targeting the staffroom and computer laboratory.
The suspects caused extensive damage, making away with a number of electronic equipment. The suspects were captured on CCTV cameras before eventually destroying the systems during the rampage.
According to the school's principal, the school administration was alerted by a security guard from a neighbouring school who heard the commotion on Friday night.
“When I arrived in the compound, one guard was already dead while the other was still breathing,” the principal recalled. “We tried to rush the surviving one to the hospital, but he sadly succumbed to his injuries.”
School management suspects that the perpetrators are likely students who had previously been slapped with lengthy suspensions from the institution.
Among the items which were reported missing are 10 laptops and several computer accessories, including keyboards.
The suspects are believed to have been familiar with the school facilities, but as they were making away with the stolen items, several keyboards and CCTV cameras dropped and were found near the crime scene.
Investigators are now reviewing the CCTV footage, which briefly captured the face of one of the suspects, with the hopes of landing a solid lead in the case.
Part of the reason the school's administration believes the attack was not random was because of its timing, since it was deliberately conducted just as students were preparing to take on national exams.
The bodies of the slain security guards have since been taken to the Kenyatta National Hospital mortuary, pending an autopsy.
