Parents of Litein Boys High School in Kericho County will have to part with a total of Sh69 million as fines for damage caused to school property during a recent students’ riot.
The verdict has come as a shock to many parents.
However, following an appeal by the Parents Teachers Association (PTA), the Board of Management (BoM) will shoulder Sh30 million of the total cost, while parents will immediately pay Sh69 million of the damages.
It emerged that while the total value of the destruction was Sh99,962,450, the parents will bear the larger share, while the BoM will handle the balance in phases to restore facilities at the institution.
Papers strewn at Litein Boys High School after students went on the rampage, in this photo taken on September 22, 2025.
Photo credit: Winny Chepkemoi | Nation
The board is expected to seek government support, including from the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), to cover part of the repairs. Any remaining balance will be recovered from parents over time through the school’s development kitty.
The decision followed a meeting between the board—led by chairman Dr K. Kemboi—the PTA, chaired by Mr Abadnego Rotich, and officials from the Ministry of Education. Engineers from the State Department of Public Works had presented an audit report on the extent of the damage and the subsequent bill of quantities.
As a result, each of the 1,400 students has been fined Sh49,000 towards reconstruction at the institution, which suffered the highest level of destruction in the recent wave of school unrest.
“The total cost of damages received from the State Department of Public Works is Sh69,578,795. This figure is shared among 1,400 students, with each paying Sh49,699,” the Board of Management stated in a communication to parents.
The board resolved that the fines must be paid into the school’s bank account by October 6, 2025, to allow repairs to begin before students return to school.
The PTA had earlier proposed reducing the fine to Sh10,000 per student, but this was found impractical given the extent of the destruction.
Papers strewn at Litein Boys High School after students went on the rampage, in this photo taken on September 22, 2025.
Photo credit: Winny Chepkemoi | Nation
The board has also been directed to handle parents’ cases individually regarding payment of the imposed fines.
Form Two students will report on October 9, 2025, Form Three on October 13 and Form Four on October 16.
“It has been decided that Form Two and Three students will only carry their bags and bedding, while Form Four students will carry all their belongings,” said Principal Richard Sang, who also serves as secretary to the BoM.
The board further resolved, with the concurrence of the Ministry of Education, that all fees arrears and damage costs must be cleared before readmission.
“Students must be accompanied by their parents, after which a general parents’ meeting will be held,” the board said in a message sent to parents via mobile phones.
Eight students have since been arrested and arraigned in court, where they were detained for a week to allow the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to complete investigations into charges of arson, burglary, and malicious damage to property.
Kericho Principal Magistrate Fredrick Nyakundi was told that the students—represented by advocate Naima Chelangat—were found in possession of stolen items, including laptops and teachers’ personal belongings, reportedly carted away during the chaos.
Civil engineers, quantity surveyors and electrical engineers from the State Department of Public Works and Housing, alongside officials from the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Interior, were involved in assessing the destruction.
The school administration has denied claims that the unrest was triggered by students being denied permission to watch a football match, noting that learners had watched two matches on Saturday and one on Sunday.
Investigators have since established that some students were angered by the administration’s alleged refusal to cooperate with cartels involved in Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination leakages.
A signage at Litein Boys' High School in Kericho County where 1,900 students went on strike following the entertainment timetable was revised.
Photo credit: Vitalis Kimutai I Nation Media Grpou
Police are also probing reports that outsiders took advantage of the chaos to enter the school compound under cover of darkness, looting property, including computers, maize, rice, and beans. Some of the stolen goods were later recovered several kilometres from the institution.
During the rampage, the students reportedly broke into the bursar’s office, damaged a safe, stole an undisclosed amount of money, tore and burnt documents, tampered with CCTV cameras, drove the school bus to block the main gate and looted the kitchen.
Several schools in the South Rift region have reported similar incidents of unrest over the past month, leaving parents and principals anxious.
