Jera Mixed Secondary School was temporarily shut down on Friday, July 18, following protests and unrest initiated by students over issues of food shortages and school management.
The students, protesting peacefully, took to the streets to voice their grievances against the school principal, whom they accused of mismanaging the institution. According to reports, the unrest was triggered by a shortage of food, with students claiming they were only served ugali and soup on the night of Thursday, and woke up to boiled water without sugar instead of their usual porridge.
One student lamented, “We have been observing around, and there’s no food in the school. The store is empty; we cannot continue living like this. We paid school fees just last week, yet there is no food.”
The students also accused the principal of frequent absenteeism and called for his immediate transfer. “The principal isn’t listening to us. He has been lying to us every morning during assembly. All we want is for him to go home,” a student said.
Additional complaints included the dilapidated state of some dormitories and a persistent water shortage. The students claimed that these problems have persisted for a long time, but the school management has continued to ignore their concerns.
Following the protests, officials from the Ministry of Education, led by Ugenya Sub-County TSC Director Bernard Orwasa, visited the school. He advised the students to go home and urged them to remain patient as their grievances are being addressed.
While the students preparing for the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams remain at the school to continue their mock exams and preparations, the school’s administration has been urged to address the issues raised. Teachers and community members have called for calm and urged the students to remain patient as efforts are made to resolve the situation.
