KAKAMEGA, Kenya — Several students from Bishop Sulumeti Girls High School were rushed to the hospital on Sunday night after reportedly suffering the effects of teargas during a police operation to contain unrest at the school.
Preliminary reports indicate that the students had staged protests over prolonged water shortages at the institution, triggering tensions that escalated into disorder.
Witness accounts suggest the demonstrations intensified in the evening, prompting police officers to intervene in an effort to restore calm.
Students Treated Following Teargas Exposure
During the operation, police reportedly used teargas to disperse protesting students after the situation deteriorated.
Several learners are said to have fainted or experienced breathing difficulties following exposure to the gas.
The affected students were taken to Lumakanda County Hospital, where they received treatment and observation.
Videos circulating on social media showed students lying on hospital beds, while others appeared distressed and were receiving first aid from medical personnel.
By Sunday night, authorities had not confirmed the exact number of students who required medical attention.
Conflicting Accounts on Cause of Unrest
While reports pointed to water shortages as the primary grievance, other accounts indicated that students may have switched off the school’s main power supply and begun throwing stones while chanting demands to be sent home.
However, the precise sequence of events and the immediate trigger of the unrest had not been independently verified by the time of publication.
School administrators and local government officials had yet to issue a comprehensive statement explaining the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Rising Wave of School Unrest
The incident adds to growing concerns over unrest in learning institutions across the country during the second term.
In recent weeks, dozens of schools have reported disturbances ranging from protests and strikes to cases of arson and destruction of property.
According to government figures, fewer than 80 schools out of the country’s more than 52,000 learning institutions have experienced unrest, though the incidents have drawn national attention due to their frequency and severity.
Earlier, Basic Education Principal Secretary Julius Bitok urged school administrators to prioritise dialogue with students rather than coercive measures, particularly regarding examinations and other contentious issues.
The government has also ordered a nationwide audit of boarding schools and deployed 1,000 quality assurance officers to assess safety and help address emerging challenges.
Calls for Lasting Solutions
The unrest has renewed calls from some education stakeholders for a review of the second-term academic calendar and increased attention to student welfare issues.
However, the Ministry of Education has rejected proposals for an early mid-term break, maintaining that learning should continue in the vast majority of schools operating normally.
The Kenya National Union of Teachers has also opposed changes to the school calendar, arguing that such a move would be costly and disruptive to the education programme.
Investigations into the Bishop Sulumeti Girls incident are expected to establish the cause of the unrest and determine whether further interventions are required to address conditions at the school.
