Litein Boys High School closed again after threats of fresh strike
By Rehab Kinuthia, September 30, 2025Litein Boys High School in Kericho County has been closed again for the second time this month, following threats of a fresh strike by students on Monday, 29 September 2025.
The closure came as students returned to school with parents to inspect damages caused during a violent rampage on Sunday night, 21 September 2025.
Watch: Litein Boys high in flames as student unrest leaves multi-million losses
Tensions rose when students discovered that the school principal, Mr Richard Sang, remained in office. Parents, shocked by the scale of destruction, rejected the Board of Management’s claim that some of the damage was caused by the students themselves, insisting they would not accept responsibility for the losses.
“We want the national government to intervene and find a way for the Form Four candidates to return and prepare for the KCSE,” a parent, Elizabeth Belion, said.
With barely three weeks remaining before national examinations, anxiety is high among students and parents over the fate of the school’s final-year candidates.
Property destroyed extensively
The unrest on 21 September resulted in millions of shillings’ worth of property damage and extensive destruction to school infrastructure.
Videos circulating online showed students cooking inside teachers’ residences and riding on a cow, shocking the local community.
Eight students were taken into police custody and arraigned at Kericho Law Courts on Tuesday, 23 September 2025. They were returned to custody for seven days as investigations continue.
County leaders condemned the violence. Kericho Senator Aaron Cheruiyot urged the Ministry of Education to consider stricter disciplinary measures, including the possible reintroduction of the cane in schools.
Watch: Litein Boys closed indefinitely after a violent strike
Belgut MP Nelson Koech called for legal consequences for students who lead strikes. “We will make it very hard for any student who participates in strikes to join another school.
Those who led the Litein strikes should face the full force of the law for arson and thereafter be placed in approved institutions,” Koech said.
As investigations proceed, parents and community leaders are calling for urgent measures to ensure Form Four candidates can complete their KCSE preparations without interruption.
For now, the school gates remain closed, leaving the community eager for a resolution that balances accountability with the students’ educational needs.