UGENYA — A high school in western Kenya has been shut indefinitely after students took to the streets on Monday night, angry over what they say was poor-quality maize flour in their meals.
The protest at St. Mary’s Ukwala Boys’ High School began shortly after nightfall. By morning, window panes lay shattered, offices had been ransacked, and students had marched out of the school compound into Ukwala town.
“They said the food was unfit to eat,” Siaya County Director of Education Leonard Kabaki told reporters on Tuesday. “They’ve been raising concerns, and it appears they felt no one was listening.”
The school’s management has not yet commented on the quality of the maize flour, but local education authorities confirmed that the matter had been building up for days.
According to Mr Kabaki, the demonstration began at around 8 p.m. and quickly escalated. By the time calm was restored, the damage was already done. Classrooms and administrative offices bore the brunt of the students’ anger.
In response, a meeting between school officials, education officers, and the board of management resolved to shut the school with immediate effect. “The closure will give us time to investigate the students’ grievances and to ensure everyone’s safety,” Mr Kabaki said.
No injuries were reported, and all students have since left the school grounds under supervision.
Parents have voiced mixed reactions. Some expressed sympathy with the students’ frustrations, while others criticised the decision to riot rather than seek dialogue. “If the food is bad, it’s right to speak up,” said one father, speaking outside the school gate. “But damaging property isn’t the way.”
Food quality in boarding schools has been a recurring issue in Kenya, where rising costs and supply problems have strained public school kitchens. Ministry officials say they are investigating where the school sourced its maize flour and whether it met health standards.
As the probe begins, the Ministry of Education has urged calm and warned other institutions against ignoring legitimate student complaints.
The reopening of St. Mary’s Ukwala will depend on the outcome of the investigation and agreement between education authorities and the school’s board. For now, the classrooms stand empty, and questions hang in the air about whether this unrest could have been avoided.
