Outrage as Litein High School parents question Ksh.49K fee for damages after strike

Parents of Litein High School in Kericho County have raised concerns over what they term as frequent strikes and unexplained levies imposed on them following every unrest.

The aggrieved parents, speaking through the Parents Teachers Association (PTA) lawyers Danstan Omari, Shadrach Wambui and Sam Nyaberi, questioned why the school has witnessed three separate strikes within a short period, each followed by fresh monetary demands from the administration.

They accused the school management and the principal of allegedly instigating the strikes for financial gain.

According to the parents, each student has been directed to pay over Ksh.49,000 purportedly to repair damages from the latest unrest.

“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 PTA has called for a full inventory of property destroyed during the strike and an audit of the funds collected after previous incidents.

Some parents have also alleged that teachers are exploiting the situation to extract money from them through their children.

The development follows an unrest in the school two weeks ago where learners went on a rampage, burning classrooms and vandalising offices.

The aftermath resulted in the arrest of eight students and the institution being closed indefinitely.

The students were reportedly protesting alleged high-handedness by the school principal.

While condemning the destruction, Education Principal Secretary Julius Bitok warned students against hooliganism and directed education officials to be more vigilant.

Parents later expressed concern over what they say is a trend of vandalism, noting that the school has been destroyed four times in the last three years.

There have been similar cases of school unrest in 2021 and 2023 where in the two cases, it was closed indefinitely.