Students at Ingotse Boys High School were sent home indefinitely after chaos erupted at the institution during a dramatic overnight rampage that left parts of the school destroyed, including its library block.
The unrest broke out on the night of Wednesday, May 20, when learners allegedly vandalised school property before dozens reportedly staged a walkout in the dead of night, sparking panic among residents and school officials.
Videos and images circulating online showed the scale of destruction at the school, with the library suffering extensive fire damage. The building appeared completely gutted, with the roof caved in and windows and doors reduced to twisted wreckage.
By Thursday morning, smoke could still be seen rising from sections of the premises, suggesting firefighters and emergency responders battled the blaze for hours before bringing it under control.
School management later announced the indefinite closure of the institution, ordering all students to vacate the compound immediately as investigations into the incident began.
Authorities are yet to establish the exact cause of the unrest or why the students allegedly targeted the library specifically. The incident has raised concern among education stakeholders, particularly due to the highly flammable materials stored inside the facility.
One local education official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, described the destruction as “deeply disturbing,” adding: “The extent of the damage points to a coordinated act of unrest rather than a spontaneous protest.”
Ingotse Boys High School is considered one of the prominent schools in Navakholo Sub-County and serves students from the wider Lurambi Constituency. Sponsored by a religious organisation, the school has rarely been associated with violent student unrest, making the incident even more shocking to members of the local community.
The latest chaos now adds to a growing wave of unrest in secondary schools across Kenya during the second term.
Just days earlier, more than 1,100 students at Kaumoni Boys High School were sent home indefinitely after another destructive strike that saw school property vandalised and several administrative offices torched.
Confirming the incident, Makueni Sub-County Director of Education Richard Ng’ang’a said students burned offices belonging to the principal, deputy principal, secretary and bursar. Tuition blocks were also damaged, while laboratory equipment and chemicals were destroyed.
In a separate incident on May 12, parents with children studying at State House Girls were asked to pick up their daughters after complaints from learners triggered disruption at the Nairobi-based school.
The recent incidents have reignited debate over rising cases of student unrest in Kenyan schools, with education experts warning that unresolved grievances, academic pressure and disciplinary tensions may be fuelling the growing trend.
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