Three students were arrested in connection with the unrest at Solai Boys' High School in Rongai sub-county that led to the burning of a dormitory.

Simon Mwangi, Senior Assistant Chief in the sub-location, confirms the arrest of one student whom other students claimed to be the key suspect.

“After the arrest, he went and added that there were two other students with him, and they were taken to the station to give their statements. We still suspect one of them lit the fire, and we will get more and get to the bottom of the issue,” Mwangi assures.

The unrest, which began Tuesday night, saw students destroy school property, including their 88-capacity dormitory, whose value has not yet been established according to Board of Management (BOM) Chairperson Kamau Kiarie.

“One of our dormitories caught fire, and it was managed by the firefighters. Twenty boys were affected by the smoke. However, they were not in the dormitory at the time, as they were attending prep school, but they inhaled smoke. They were taken to the nearest sub-county hospital, treated, discharged, and returned to school, save for one student,” Kiarie explains.

Board of Management (BOM) Chairperson Kamau Kiarie during an interview with the Media on February 4.

Photo credit: LELETI JASSOR/MTAA WANGU

He says the school prepared a makeshift dormitory where all the affected students spent the night, aside from one student who was handed over to the police at Kamukunji Police Station.

He urges parents to remain calm, assuring them that their children are safe.

Following the unrest the school decided to send home Form Three and Four students for few days as investigations continue.

Kiarie says the BOM has implemented a phased approach to managing the situation.

“As a board, we have declared a three-day break for Form Threes and Fours. Some will be leaving today and tomorrow (Feb 5). Form Fours will be joining us on Monday (Feb 9), accompanied by their parents, and Form Threes on Tuesday (Feb 10)," Kiarie says.

Grade Ten parents were allowed to see their students on Wednesday, while Grade Ten students remained in school on Thursday.

“The school administration is arranging psychosocial support for the affected students, and students overwhelmed with stress will go home," Kiarie notes.

He adds that forensic investigations are underway, with the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) collecting chemical samples to determine what caused the fire.

The school expects to resume normal operations once investigations are complete and necessary support services are provided to students, although it is still not clear if parents will be required to cover the costs of the damage.

Three Solai Boys High School students arrested over school unrest

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Leleti Jassor