A meeting at Mukumu Girls’ High School in Kakamega County ended in disarray on Saturday after police officers were called to disperse a protest by parents.
Chaos erupted after parents discussing the school’s reopening, following a disease outbreak that killed four, demanded the destruction of maize at the institution, which is suspected to be contaminated.
On April 15, Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu ordered the destruction of the maize to prevent another tragedy.
CS Machogu also announced changes at the institution, including the transfer of principal Fridah Ndolo to the office of the Western region director of the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), and her replacement with Shikoti Girls’ Secondary School principal, Sr Jane Mmbone.
On Saturday, police officers were forced to use tear gas to disperse parents who attempted to break into the store to destroy the maize.
Fleeing from police officers, they ran towards the nearby Khayega market, with the commotion disrupting activities along Kakamega-Kisumu road.
Police officers are pictured outside Mukumu Girls' HIgh School in Kakamega County on April 29, 2023, after a parents' meeting to discuss the school's reopening turned chaotic.
Photo credit: Isaac Wale | Nation Media Group
Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale, Woman Representative Elsie Muhanda and Shinyalu MP Fredrick Ikana attended the meeting at the school.
The confrontation between parents and police officers has cast doubt on the scheduled reopening of the school on May 2, after the parents vowed not to release their children before the destruction of the maize.
The parents heckled Western Region Commissioner Irungu Ndirangu after he explained that the maize could not be destroyed immediately as safe disposal procedures must be followed.
Mr Irungu told the parents, “If any of you do not bring back your daughters to school because of this issue, other parents will bring their children to take their places.”
It was at this point that the parents started leaving the meeting and heading towards the store to try and break into it to destroy the maize.
Police officers fired tear gas to disperse them, causing them to flee in different directions.
The parents accused government officials of ignoring recommendations by public health officials for the maize to be destroyed for being unfit for human consumption.
“I regret bringing my daughter to this school. She was called to Lugulu Girls’ but I brought her here instead,” said Ms Victoria Maloba, a Form Three parent.
Ms Maloba added that she was struggling, single-handedly, to educate her daughter as husband died five years ago.
“I will not allow my daughter back to the school until they assure me that the cereals in the stores have been destroyed. Feeding students on the same cereals will result in more cases,” she said.
Mukumu Girls' closed indefinitely after disease outbreak kills 2 students
Ms Beatrice Akinyi, another parent from Siaya, blamed the Western regional commissioner for the meeting’s disruption.
“We came here to chart the way forward for our girls, ahead of the reopening of the school next week, but the commissioner addressed us rudely, leading to the premature end of the meeting,” Ms Akinyi said.
She said the parents wanted to witness the destruction of the maize to ascertain it would not be sneaked back into the store and given to the students when they return to school.
“The regional commissioner told us the school will reopen whether we like it or not, but we are concerned about the safety of our children. We don’t want to rush to open the school and end up with more cases of illness,” said Ms Akinyi.
Ministry of Education officials closed the school on April 3 after 256 learners were hospitalised following the outbreak of a disease that resulted from food and water poisoning.
More than 500 students were infected by the bacteria that caused the death of three students and a teacher.
Dr Khalwale said the contaminated cereals at the school were finding their way into the local markets at Khayega and Shinyalu.
He said some of the cereals had been secretly moved to the markets and were being sold to unsuspecting residents.
