Students of Uriri High School in Migori County on Sunday night burnt one of their dormitories after being denied a chance to watch an AFCON match.
The students expressed their interest in watching the Kenya vs Algeria match that was taking place in Cairo, Egypt but their plea fell on deaf ears as the school's administration denied them the chance.
An alarm was raised by the school watchman that the dormitory had been set ablaze before the neighbouring community and students themselves came in to contain the situation, the school principal narrated.
Property of unknown value was destroyed during the inferno.
“No casualties have been reported, we have launched an investigation into the incident and soon we will know what transpired,” a senior police officer reported to journalists.
Incidences of students reacting to being denied the chance of watching highly anticipated football matches have been known to caused mayhem in the past.
In June 2016, Itierio Boys High School students in Kisii students burnt down eight dormitories in protest against new rules set by the school administration.
Among the tough rules was the cancellation of a football watching routine the students were used to during weekends. The raucous students left their classes and school dining hall completely vandalized.
The principal’s office, school canteen as well as a laboratory at a neighbouring school were raided by the irked students.
Police arrested six students in the wake of a wave of unrest in schools in Nyanza region in mid-2018.
The Ministry of Education blamed anxiety over exams, resistance to the transfer of headteachers, copy-cat effect, and indiscipline on the unrest rocking schools last year.
Five of those arrested after the burning of two dormitories at Chulaimbo Secondary School were charged with arson.
