By Collins Wanzallah
Students at Dagoretti High School in Nairobi were sent home on Monday after the school was closed indefinitely due to student riots.
The school principal, John Kairu, was unavailable for comment as his phone went unanswered, and he did not reply to text messages. However, several teachers at the school confirmed the unrest on Sunday night.
According to sources, at least 11 students were injured during the night riots and were admitted to various hospitals around the school.
John Thairu, the chairman of the Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association (KESSHA) in Dagoretti sub-county and principal of Ruthimitu Mixed Secondary School in Gachui, condemned the incident and called for peace and harmony among students in the sub-county.
“As we approach the end of the year and the KCSE exams for Form Four students, it’s important that students concentrate on their studies and avoid riots,” Thairu said over the phone.
The Sunday night riots, according to sources not authorised to speak to the press, were triggered by a conflict between two groups over a sports event.
The students had been involved in a basketball match, during which tensions arose between Kenyan and Sudanese students over the match results.
Property worth thousands of shillings was vandalised and destroyed, prompting the administration to intervene that evening. However, the situation escalated into the night.
“The school management decided to close the school to ensure student safety and prevent further destruction,” said a Board of Management official.
There were also unconfirmed reports that the dispute had taken a religious turn, with tensions between Kenyan and Sudanese students.
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It was unclear whether the students involved were from South Sudan or Sudan.
According to National Police spokesperson Dr Resila Onyango, police had been deployed to the school to quell the unrest and are still investigating the matter.
She also urged students to refrain from using riots to resolve conflicts and to engage with the school administration to find peaceful solutions.