Kisumu Girls High School has been closed indefinitely following an increased agitation from the students that started on Friday.

The closure of the school was confirmed by Regional Education Boss Edwin Sifuna.

Sifuna said that since Friday there have been issues within the school where a number of girls were making noise and refusing to participate in the activities of the school.

He said gradually, it degenerated into shouting at any person who tried to address them.

“It worsened yesterday when the officers from the National Government administrative unit and the Ministry of Education tried to address them at the dining hall but they were very unruly,” he said.

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He added: “Eventually I was at a funeral in Funyula when I was called, I rushed to the school and addressed the students”.

He noted that the students refused to say their grievances and instead, they gave them papers where they wrote their problems and we sealed the papers.

The Education Boss told the media that he requested the students to go back to their hostels as they addressed the issues raised.

“This morning Sunday, they have woken up with increased agitations, they first went to the dining hall and wanted to play all types of music yet it’s a day to go and pray being a Sunday.”

He said that eventually there was a blackout but they interpreted it to be a targeted move to prevent them from listening to their music, they started shouting throwing papers here and there.

“The board held a meeting and in their deliberations and with the increased agitation from a number of them, it decided that to restore the order, the school closes as they look at their grievances before they are called back”.

He said the board had already started a meeting to go through all the grievances raised by the students.

The board will also talk to teachers including stakeholders to come up with a real issue that is affecting the school.

He assured that the students’ grievances among them issues of corporal punishment, will be looked at and if there is truth to some of the issues then appropriate actions will be taken.

“But other areas where maybe does not hold water, they will wait and give chance to school management where his officers are also there to analyse everything and guide on the way forward”.

Even though the school remained closed, a section of students were still at the school saying they couldn’t go back home.

Sifuna added that they have also directed the school to take care of those students who are unable to travel including those who have no interest in going home.

“By the end of today the board would have made a decision as to when they will be back,” he said.

He also noted that no property was destroyed, apart from two widow panes destroyed during the commotion.

ODM nominated MP Wilson Sossion has called for the scrapping of boarding schools as one of the measures towards ending students’ unrest.

The former Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) secretary-general had a view that the boarding school system is a burden to parents.

“Why are students not burning down classes or laboratories? The government should wake up and face the reality. Boarding systems are costing innocent parents a lot of money,” said Sossion.

“Boarding system should be removed and students allowed being day scholars so that we bring to an end the madness we are seeing now.”

“Unrest in schools has been witnessed since 2008 and the government should not act as if it has started happening now,” added session.

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Sossion further accused the government pretending that its not seeing this situation. He made reference to the recommendations of the Claire Amollo report, which according to him, “are gathering dust” and it time to implement them.

“The report made a raft of recommendations that should have been implemented so that unrest in schools is brought an end,” he said.

A total of 11 schools in Bomet and Kericho counties have been affected by the unrest. The latest in Bomet is Tenwek High School which was closed after a night of tension as students threatened to go on the rampage.

Others affected are Chebunyo Boys High School, Koiwa Boys’, Chebunyo Boys and Mogor Secondary School.