This week, Kisii School shut down
indefinitely after students allegedly set fire to the school captain's room on
visiting day, while Kakamega High School closed following a dormitory blaze
that destroyed mattresses but injured no one.
Other prominent schools like Upper Hill, Mangu
High, and Nairobi School sent students home preemptively amid rising tensions,
part of a pattern since late May that has affected over 30 institutions
nationwide.
Education officials, led by Principal Secretary
Julius Bitok, insist learning continues in most of Kenya's 9,500 secondary
schools, with measures like safety audits and suspended exams in place to
address issues from underfunding and grievances.