Twelve students have been arrested following the burning of two dormitories in separate fire incidents in Mwingi schools.
A dormitory housing 50 Form 1 students was burnt at Mwingi Boys Secopndary School on Sunday and another housing 51 learners was also razed at Broadways High School on Monday.
Mwingi Central subcounty police commander Peter Mutuma said the incidents were reported at Mwingi police station by the school managers.
At Mwingi Boys, deputy principal Harrison Mutungi said students were in class for their afternoon studies when the dormitory was set ablaze at around 2pm.
The cause of the fire was not immediately established. Investigations had been launched. No student was injured but property was destroyed.
At Broadways, principal Mercy Mulonzya said the fire broke out at about 3.10am when students were asleep. No one was hurt, she said in the report made to the police.
The fire was put out although property was destroyed.
“Twelve students have been detained for interrogation. Investigation to establish the cause and motive of the fire has been launched,” Mutuma said.
Kenya National Union of Teachers executive secretary for Mwingi Michael Munyasya said fear of exams and schools' “failure to meet student demands” could be the cause of unrest in the institutions.
Speaking at Mwingi Boys Secondary School, Munyasya said most students feel they are unprepared for exams and therefore believe they will be excused from the tests if they torch buildings. He condemned the acts.
“The society is burning, when youths become unruly and lack societal norms, the society becomes disorderly,” Munyasya said.
He asked the government, parents and teachers to critically look for solutions to arrest the unrest in schools before things get out of hands.
The unionist disagreed with CS George Magoha's recent proposal for the reintroduction of caning to discipline unruly learners.
“If canning students has to be administered, then risk allowances must be introduced too to cater for any eventuality that may occur,” Munyasya said.
Edited by P.O