Kericho, Kenya — Parents of Litein High School have expressed outrage after the administration directed each student to pay Ksh.49,000 to cover damages following a recent student strike.
Speaking through their lawyers — Danstan Omari, Shadrach Wambui, and Sam Nyaberi — the parents accused the school management of exploiting repeated unrests to impose questionable levies.
They noted that the school has witnessed at least three strikes in recent years, each followed by new financial demands from the administration. “The pattern is suspicious — every time there’s a strike, parents are asked to contribute large sums of money. We want accountability and transparency,” said one parent.
The Parents Teachers Association (PTA) has demanded a full inventory of damaged property and an audit of funds collected after previous incidents, alleging that some teachers might be using the situation to extort parents through students.
The latest unrest occurred two weeks ago when students went on a rampage, burning classrooms and vandalising offices. Eight students were arrested, and the school was closed indefinitely.
Students were reportedly protesting against what they described as the principal’s high-handed leadership style.
Education Principal Secretary Julius Bitok condemned the violence and urged students to refrain from hooliganism, while directing education officials to increase vigilance.
Parents, however, say the repeated destruction points to deeper issues within the institution’s management. “This school has been destroyed four times in the last three years. We cannot keep paying for chaos we don’t understand,” another parent lamented.
The Ministry of Education is yet to comment on whether it will investigate the allegations raised by the parents.
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