Police were yesterday holding four teachers over an arson attack that razed down the administration block at Lugala Primary School in Shinyalu Constituency, Kakamega County. The four were being detained at Shisasari Police Station in connection with burning of the block over alleged bad blood between them and their head teacher.

Wananchi from the area woke up to a horrific morning on Saturday after word went round that the school had been invaded by unknown people the previous night and razed down. Some of the pupils and their parents broke down into tears upon seeing the damage. “I was yet to pick the KCPE certificate of my son who left this school last year. I am devastated because we are told all of them have been destroyed in the fire,” said a parent, amid tears.

Shinyalu Police boss Daniel Mukumbu confirmed that the teachers had been arrested for questioning. “Our investigations point at an insider job that was hatched for some reasons that we are yet to establish. We are questioning the suspects and shall make a final decision after our investigations,” he said. School buildings The arsonists left posters on the school buildings and gate which narrated their grievances towards the head teacher. These included, “Sexual harassment of women and female teachers, illegal levies and fees, abuse of public office, theft of school cows and learners’ lunch and claims to have control of the entire education office in the sub-county.”

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They also listed poor academic performance, punishing of female teachers who declined his sexual overtures and interfering with the early Childhood Development program at the institution. But the head teacher who identified himself as Victor Ingosi, dismissed all the allegations saying he was being fought due to his strict style of administration. “I took over this school when there was widespread laziness and lethargy among teachers, which affected academic performance,” the head teacher said.

Education Cabinet Secretary Prof.George Magoha has faulted the courts, accusing them of giving irrational rulings and directives on students

In an apparent reference to recent cases in which the courts ordered for the re-admission of suspended students accused of arson across the country, Magoha said it was improper to do so, arguing that such a move would pose a security risk to the innocent students and abate moral decay in schools.

The cases were those from students and some teaching staff being implicated in the recent unrests that were widespread where dormitories were torched and reduced to ashes but the courts however ordered for student’s re-admission.

The CS said the Ministry would not tolerate any form of indiscipline among students saying each one involved would carry their own cross.

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“If ten students want to close and go home, let them go and they return when they want. For if they know that they are intelligent enough, then why should they still be in school?” wondered a visibly agitated Magoha.

He at the same time pointed an accusing figure on some parents for doing little to guide their children morally, accusing them of pampering them like eggs.” When a parent demands for the readmission of an expelled child, instead of sitting with them and point out their ills, then it’s like the parents and the child have interchanged roles. This does not add up.” he noted.

The professor of medicine at the same time reaffirmed that the forth coming national exams would go on as planned, adding, “We cannot change the examination dates because of a few noisemakers WHO are making noise somewhere.”

He reiterated that the KCPE and KCSE exams had been set, taking into account that the school calendar had been largely disrupted by the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The CS was speaking at Maseno School in Kisumu West sub county when he toured the institution to inspect infrastructural development. He was accompanied by high-ranking Ministry officials in Nyanza Region- both from TSC and the ministry, area Deputy County Commissioner and the school’s BOM led by its chairman Dr. Olang’o Onudi.

Magoha at the same time lauded the school’s student body under the guidance of the teaching staff and other stake-holders for largely remaining an island of peace during the tumultuous term characterized by incidents of infernos.

On the issue of the reintroduction of corporal punishment in schools, Magoha termed as healthy, the on-going debate on the same. He added that modalities on its implementation and by who, would have to be put in place if it were to be rolled out, adding: “We must not however infringe on the rights of the largely good student populace at the expense of a few indiscipline cases.”