A section of the Kaumoni Offices that was burned down. Photo by Andrew Mbuva. 
By Andrew Mbuva.
More than 1,100 students of Kaumoni Boys High School have been sent home indefinitely after a violent night of destruction that left property worth millions damaged at the institution.
The students allegedly went on a rampage at around 1 a.m. on Tuesday night, torching key administration offices and vandalizing several sections of the school.
Among the offices completely reduced to ashes were those belonging to the principal, deputy principal, secretary and bursar. The students also shattered window panes in all classroom blocks and destroyed water pipes in the laboratory.
In addition, food supplies stored in the school kitchen, including rice, maize, beans, sugar, milk and cooking oil, were destroyed. The students also vandalized the school generator and canteen, while some reportedly broke into stores and consumed bread and other food items.
Speaking to Soo TV in his office in Wote Town on Wednesday morning, Richard Ng’ang’a confirmed the incident and condemned the massive destruction.
“The students have been sent home indefinitely; they have caused huge destruction at the school. The window panes of all tuition blocks have been broken, and the offices of the principal, deputy principal, secretary and bursar were burned down,” lamented Ng’ang’a.
He further revealed that the students destroyed foodstuffs in the school store, damaged laboratory chemicals and examination records, and broke into the staffroom where they stole valuables belonging to teachers.
According to the education official, officers from the Public Works Department are currently assessing the extent and value of the destruction caused during the unrest.
At the same time, detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations together with officials from the Subcounty Quality Assurance Office have launched investigations to establish the cause of the strike.
Despite the destruction, Ng’ang’a expressed hope that learning at the institution would resume soon, noting that candidates are preparing for their final examinations next term.
“We do not want the students to stay home for long. The Board of Management will meet on Friday to deliberate on when the learners will return to school. They are expected to resume in phases,” he said.
The incident comes barely a week after a dormitory at Kavuthu Secondary School was set ablaze, with a student arraigned in court and released on a cash bail of KSh 5,000 over the incident.
