By Alice Njoki
Students in Kericho county at Litein Boys High School late on Sunday night break windows down and set their school on fire, September 21, 2025. The students were upset after being told they could not watch the big football match between Manchester City and Arsenal. Besides this, they were also angry about the school principal’s leadership. What started as a protest quickly turned violent as the students set some classrooms on fire, broke windows, destroyed school property ,and highly destroyed the office of the principal and the deputy principal and later on they were able to break in and steal nearly two million shillings from the bursar’s safe.
The chaos worsened when students tried to break into the neighboring Litein Girls School, spreading fear among staff and pupils. Police had to use tear gas to bring the situation under control. A security guard was attacked with stones and forced to flee for safety. By morning, the school was severely damaged and had to be closed indefinitely just weeks before national exams.
Parents expressed deep worry and disappointment. Many have struggled to pay school fees and now face uncertainty about their children’s education. They feel let down by their children’s actions.
This unrest is said to be worse than previous strikes in 2023 and earlier this year in July 2025, where the school also suffered damage from similar protests .Litein Boys High School, once a top-performing institution in Kericho County, has now faced three major violent strikes in just two years. Experts and officials say these repeated incidents reveal deeper problems linked to student frustrations with leadership, exam pressures, and poor communication.
Violence in schools is a pressing national issue, causing loss of learning time, destruction of property, and heavy costs to families and the government . Eight students found with stolen property have so far been arrested to be held accountable following the violent unrest on Sunday night,Police confirmed these arrests and said investigations are ongoing, and more students involved in the disturbance may be apprehended soon. Education officials have called on regional leaders to be more vigilant and work towards preventing such destructive behavior from happening again .
For now, the gates at Litein Boys remain closed, as parents and students hope for a peaceful return in learning and stronger solutions that build trust and safety in schools.