St Mary’s Ukwala Boys’ High School in Ugenya, Siaya County, has been closed indefinitely following a night of unrest sparked by student protests over alleged poor-quality food.
The chaos erupted on Monday night around 8 p.m., when students began vandalising school property, including classroom and office windows. The protest was reportedly triggered by dissatisfaction with the quality of maize flour used in their meals.
According to Siaya County Director of Education Leonard Kabaki, the decision to close the extra-county public boarding school was reached after a meeting between the Board of Management and education officials. “They destroyed windows in several classrooms and offices, and it was not safe to continue learning,” Kabaki said.
Students are said to have ignored internal channels for airing grievances, instead opting for a violent demonstration that spilled beyond the school compound into Ukwala town. Police were called in to restore order and later escorted the students back.
The protesting students claimed they had repeatedly raised concerns about the maize flour, which they described as unfit for consumption, but their pleas fell on deaf ears.
Kabaki, however, stated that the claims about food quality remain unverified. “By the time we arrived, the students had already been sent home, so we couldn’t confirm their allegations,” he said. “We will engage with them further to establish what truly caused the protest.”
The school remains closed pending further investigations and repairs. This incident echoes a similar case at Ramba Boys’ High School, also in Siaya County, which was closed earlier this year after a wave of student unrest.
