Mbale: Students of Friends School Mbale High School went on the rampage Sunday night causing untold damage to the school property. The students set ablaze the second floor of a two-storey main dormitory, burning beddings and other materials and reduced the metallic beds to shells.
According to Kenya News Agency, Acting Vihiga County Commissioner Florence Sitawa addressed journalists after an emergency meeting, stating that several students were injured during the stampede. They were taken to hospital, attended to, and discharged. Sitawa announced that the school, which has a population of 1,422, has been closed indefinitely. The Board of Governors is set to convene on Monday next week to deliberate on the way forward.
The rioting students also broke into the food store, pouring cereals on the floors. They vandalized the school stationery store, smashed the window panes of a three-storey building, and broke down the main gate. The area Member of Parliament Clement Sloya expressed concern over the incident and called for a thorough investigation into the matter.
MP Sloya, an alumnus of the institution, noted the destruction is particularly painful during an economically difficult period. He emphasized that all stakeholders will be involved to help the school recover from the incident.