Police lobbed teargas to disperse parents of Sacred Heart Mukumu Girls’ Secondary School; the parents opposed cereals in the school stores following the tragic deaths of several students.
In an address to the press, the parents wanted all the grains destroyed in their presence to ascertain that the students were returning to a safe environment when the school reopened.
The school is set to re-open on 2 May but in phases.
The committee formed to oversee the implementation of recommendations for improved sanitation to guarantee the safety of children which is chaired by Western Regional Commissioner Irungu Macharia, agreed that Form Four students will open first on 2nd May, and undergo mandatory testing through a team of doctors that will be on the ground before they settle down.
The students will also undergo both group and individual counseling and monitoring of their health status.
Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale, who joined the parents, stated that the school had grains worth Ksh6.4 million in the store and was making excuses to save the money.
“There are maize, beans and rice in the store. I am properly informed, the stock in the store now is worth Ksh6.4 million.
“So everything they are saying about going to court and about getting a letter from the doctor is just a plan to save all that money,” Khalwale stated.
The committee, however, stated that the grains could not be destroyed without the presence of officers from the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA).
“We have to follow a certain procedure in order to do such a thing. NEMA and other authorities have to be present. It cannot be done in a lay manner like you want us to do it,” Irungu stated
Hundreds of parents then began charging towards the store demanding access to the grains forcing police officers to lob teargas to disperse them.
“There was an order that all grain in the store is destroyed and we are wondering why it has not been done.
“We demand that it be destroyed because something doesn’t add up and someone is not concerned about the health of our students even when they face death,” one of the parents stated.
The school was closed indefinitely on Monday, April 3, following the deaths of two students as a result of suspected food and water poisoning.
The students had symptoms of vomiting, diarrhoea, and dizziness, and 25 of the over 200 students who had symptoms of food poisoning were hospitalised.
