Parents of students at Litein Boys High School in Kericho County are reeling in shock after the school’s Board of Management (BOM) directed them to pay a staggering KSh 69 million to cover the cost of damages following a recent student unrest that left the institution in ruins.
The riot, described by education officials as one of the most most monumental in Kenya’s history, caused an estimated KSh 99.9 million worth of destruction, forcing the school to shut down for weeks as repairs got underway.
Earlier, the Parents and Teachers Association (PTA) had appealed for leniency, proposing a modest contribution of KSh 10,000 per student. But after engineers from the Ministry of Public Works conducted an assessment, it was clear the damage was far worse than earlier anticipated. The BOM later resolved that parents would shoulder KSh 69 million, while the school’s management would cater for the remaining KSh 30 million through phased payments and possible government support.
“We understand the burden this places on parents, but the extent of destruction leaves us with no choice,”
said Board Chairman Dr. K. Kembo, following a meeting with PTA officials and representatives from the Ministry of Education.
According to the new directive, each of the school’s 1,400 students will have to part ways with KSh 49,000 before being readmitted. The amount must be deposited directly into the school’s bank account by October 6, paving the way for reconstruction works to begin.
The school principal, Mr. Richard Sang, who also serves as the BOM secretary, announced that the return to school would be staggered. Form Two students will report back on October 9, followed by Form Threes on October 13, and Form Fours on October 16.
“Form Two and Three students will bring only essential items, while the candidates will carry all their personal belongings,”
said Mr. Sang, adding that each student must be accompanied by a parent when reporting back.
In addition, all outstanding school fees must be cleared before a student is allowed to return. The BOM also revealed plans to seek assistance from the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) and other government channels to ease the financial pressure on parents.
The unrest, whose cause remains under investigation, has drawn widespread condemnation from education stakeholders and local leaders who have decried the rising cases of school indiscipline.
Eight students linked to the chaos have already been arrested and arraigned in court, as detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) continue probing the incident.
For now, the once-prestigious school stands as a cautionary tale—its charred dormitories and shattered windows serving as a grim reminder of how quickly a night of chaos can turn into a multimillion-shilling crisis for parents and administrators alike.
