Kisumu Girls closed indefinitely following student unrest

Kisumu,

Monday, September 18, 2023

KNA by Milton Onyango

Kisumu Girls High School has been closed indefinitely following a students’ unrest occurrence where they protested against alleged excessive caning by the teachers in the school.

Nyanza Director of Education Mr. Nelson Sifuna said the step taken was prompted by the unruliness that the girls resorted to.

“The board decided to close the school to restore order, the school closes as it looks at the learners’ grievances before they are recalled back; the board is meeting to go through all the grievances the students have raised,” said Sifuna.

Sifuna noted that the students’ unrest started last Friday where the students rebelled against caning which they claimed had become too much in the school.

“From Friday there has been issues in the school where a number of girls were making noise and refusing to participate in the activities of the school and it gradually degenerated into shouting at any person who tried to address them,” noted Sifuna.

Sifuna had visited the school on Friday evening and convinced the learners to write down in papers their grievances which were taken by education officers in Kisumu who are using them for investigations.

“I was at a funeral in Funyula when I was called and I rushed to the school and addressed the students but they refused to openly give their grievances so we gave them papers where they wrote their grievances,” disclosed Sifuna.

But things got messy on Sunday morning when the students demanded that they play music other than the gospel music played on such days.

They woke up with increased agitation on Sunday morning and went to the dining hall where they wanted to play all kinds of secular music against the tradition of the school but unfortunately there was a blackout which they misinterpreted to be a targeted move by the administration to prevent them from listening to their music and hence they got unruly,” stated Sifuna.

Sifuna, however, noted that no learner or teacher sustained injury during the commotion and investigations are ongoing into the incident. “Largely, the students were peaceful and as they were making noise no property was destroyed,” he said.

“We will look at the grievances and if there is strength and truth in the grievances tabled by the learners especially on corporal punishment which is illegal then we will take action,” added Sifuna.

Courtesy; KNA