By Arnold Ageta
The new Nyamira County Commissioner Benson David Leparmorijo has noted with concern the current wave of school unrest that has seen several schools razed down and the loss of lives.
Mr. Leparmorijo warned that if the wave continues to spread, a lot of losses will be incurred by the schools, a burden which he said will be carried by the parents.
He noted that even comprehensive schools (primary and junior secondary) have also been involved, something which he says is new and needs serious investigation to know the root cause of such acts.
“In the past, comprehensive schools have not featured in school unrest, but what we are now seeing happening in our primary schools is terrifying,” he noted.
The County Commissioner said in Nyamira, some schools have burnt their stores, dormitories, and powerhouses, leading to huge losses that will be carried by the same learners.
“I ask those students to stop these heinous acts because their parents have sacrificed for them to study and have a better future,” he said.
If they destroy school infrastructure, he said, the students will lack a place to study or a place to sleep, making their lives in school difficult.
He asked them to follow the right channels in presenting their grievances to the school administration that handles their issues.
“A few students taking the law into their hands and destroying school property is a criminal activity that is punishable according to the law,” the Commissioner said.
He told the students to respect the sanctity of life, one of the precious gifts that God gave unto man, saying any student losing their life or getting hurt in any way because of school unrest is morally wrong.
He, however, asked the school administrations to also address issues as soon as they are raised, following the available avenues to avoid tension in the schools.
This comes after a security consultative meeting they held at Nyansiongo Boys on Friday last week between the county security team and all school principals in Nyamira County.
The meeting was necessitated by the school unrest, which spread quickly across the county, forcing some school administrations to send students home to avert the possible destruction of school property and loss of lives.
The meeting, according to the County Commissioner, resolved that school administrations should assess the situations in their schools and, if need be, release students back home.
“We also agreed that if the reason for the unrest is due to examination fever, the examinations should be reduced, and also students should be involved in some decisions on examinations,” he said.
The Commissioner also attributed the spread of school unrest to students copying what their counterparts in other schools are doing and wanting to do the same.
“Schools are not the same because they have different administrations and different challenges,” he opined.
He called upon parents to take time to talk to their children and instill the right values because we cannot allow schools to be destroyed. He said that we must be responsible citizens of this country.
“Some of the students have been taken into custody as suspects and we do not know what will happen to them, but you know the law must take its course,” he said. “Law is law, and it must be followed whether you are a student or not.”
He confirmed that no life has been lost in Nyamira County, even though many schools have been razed down and properties destroyed, while others were released from school early.
He encouraged school administrations to release students if they sense danger or if the students demand so, to avert any looming danger.
He now calls on the school administrators who have not released students to be alert so that if they notice anything unusual, they address it or report it to the police.
“Students must persevere because two wrongs do not make a right,” he concluded. “Where there is no pain, there is no gain.”
