By Bonface Mulyungi

Lenana School in Nairobi has been closed indefinitely, and parents have been ordered to pick their children from the institution after unrest that was witnessed on Monday night.

In a series of messages sent to parents on Tuesday, June 2, the school principal ordered the parents to come pick their sons from the school beginning at 8am, with all students required to leave the school compound in the company of a parent, guardian, or authorised representative. 

The school’s Board of Management and administration said the decision was reached after students experienced restlessness and disturbance during evening preps on Monday, June 1.

“Following the restlessness and disturbance experienced during preps in the school last night, the Board of Management and the school administration have resolved to temporarily release all students to allow for restoration of normalcy and a comprehensive assessment of the situation,” the message stated in part.

“You are therefore requested to pick your son from the school at 8:00 a.m. today. Kindly ensure that all students leave the school compound accompanied by a parent, guardian, or an authorized representative,” it added.

The administration did not immediately disclose the cause of the unrest or provide further details arising from the incident.

It, however, indicated that the temporary closure would allow management to assess the situation and restore normal operations before students return to class, stating that further communication on the cause of the unrest would follow.

Parents were informed that further communication regarding the reporting date and other arrangements would be issued at a later date.

“Further communication regarding the reporting date and subsequent arrangements will be provided in due course,” the notice added.

While Lenana school students were protesting on Monday, there was a fire incident at Tarakwo High School in Bomet County the same night.

According to the Kenya Red Cross, there were no casualties reported, with the society deploying its emergency response teams to the school to manage the situation.

The development comes amid rising cases of student unrest across the country, with other cases turning violent, leading to fire incidents and destruction of properties.

Several schools have witnessed fire outbreaks recently, with the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Education issuing a raft of directives affecting all boarding schools after 16 girls died from a fire incident in Utumishi Girls’ Academy in Gilgil on Thursday, May  28.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen ordered that all schools install CCTVs in key areas of the school premises to monitor student activity, to prevent and counter future fire incidents. 

Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba, on the other hand, ordered a fresh round of inspections across all boarding schools in the country to curb future incidents over the next 10 days, starting Tuesday, June 2.

Once the inspection process is complete, strict action will be taken against the principals, teachers, or schools found to be endangering students’ lives in boarding schools.