In a worrying incident, the Karia Boys High School in Kirinyaga County has suffered widespread property damage after a fire broke out Sunday night. The concern this raises with regard to the safety and stability of learning environments in the region comes right after similar unrest that happened in Kerugoya Boys High School.
A dormitory housing 100 students from Karia Boys High School was reduced to ashes in an estimated million-shilling fire on Sunday. Luckily, no injuries were reported. The blaze suspected to be an act of arson by the students disrupted normal school operations and brought into focus underlying issues related to indiscipline and safety.
The fire broke out at about 10 PM, shortly after students had started rioting. In spite of the prompt support offered by Kirinyaga county authorities, the efforts to extinguish the fire were frustrated by hostile students who resorted to pelting them with stones, which caused damage to the fire engine and necessitated retreat. The hostility was overwhelming, hence prompting them to call back riot police to quell the chaos.
Condemning the incident, Kirinyaga County Commissioner Hussein Allasow warned that the perpetrators would be charged accordingly. Investigations have commenced to ensure the prosecution of perpetrators in the county.
A day after a similar incident at Kerugoya Boys High, reports indicate students set a dormitory ablaze at Karia Boys High School. This is already a pointer to a worrying trend of restlessness among students within the region.
The continuous incidents reported at the two schools have caused great commotion in both institutions, thus forcing multiple closures. Unrest of this nature takes a toll on not only the immediate safety and well-being of both students and staff but also recuperates to affect growth in education and academic stability at respective learning institutions.
The recent incidents pointed to the need for better security in schools. The authorities definitely have to work out strategies to prevent such incidents, including effective monitoring, more interaction between students and the administration, and stricter enforcement of discipline.
Besides immediate security measures, there is the imperative to address some fundamental larger issues that might be fuelling student unrest. Review sources of discontent among students, such as school policy, administrative, or broader social and economic issues.
The commitment of Commissioner Allasow to prosecute the perpetrators will be a deterrence in such cases in the future. Meanwhile, legal and disciplinary action also has to be supplemented through an attempt at engaging the students constructively and listening to their grievances by way of dialogue and counseling.