Tension engulfed Ramba Boys’ High School in Rarieda sub-county on the evening of Thursday, April 24, as students went on a rampage, torching the school’s security office and causing mayhem in the neighbouring Ndori market. Ramba Boys students accused the school principal of mismanagement. The protest, which marked the second wave of unrest in under a month, was reportedly sparked by renewed calls from students demanding the immediate transfer of the school’s principal, Wycliffe Manowa, over claims of mismanagement and poor leadership. According to witnesses, the unrest began at the school gate where the security office was set ablaze.
Smoke was seen billowing from the premises as students chanted anti-administration slogans, accusing the principal of turning a deaf ear to their grievances. They then marched to the nearby Ndori market. Traders and shopkeepers, sensing danger, hurriedly closed their businesses as the students blocked roads, disrupting the usually calm atmosphere of the area. Before spilling into the market, reports indicate the students had allegedly attempted to torch dormitories within the school compound. However, vigilant school staff managed to contain the situation, preventing what could have been a disastrous tragedy. How is situation in Ndori following students’ unrest? Security personnel have since been deployed to both the school and the Ndori market to restore order. Police moved in to restore order in the Ndori market.
Ramba Boys’ High School had just resumed learning on Tuesday, April 22, after a previous closure in March following a tragic incident where two students lost their lives after a septic tank collapsed within the school premises. The incident left the school community shaken, and students demanded accountability from the school administration, with Principal Manowa bearing the brunt of their anger. Sources within the school said signs of unrest had been observed earlier in the day, with students appearing agitated. Currently, the Ndori market has become a no-go zone, with the protesting students chanting and blocking motorists, escalating fears among residents. As of the time of publishing, efforts to reach Principal Wycliffe Manowa for comment were unsuccessful as he remained unreachable.
Student recounts schoolmates dying in Ramba septic tank In the March 22 tragedy, the slab the two students were standing near a latrine collapsed, plunging them into a septic tank. Ryan Otieno and David Awinda, both Form Four students, had been waiting for a friend when the incident happened. Witnesses said one of them briefly resurfaced before being pulled back under as efforts to rescue them, including help from a teacher and a watchman, were unsuccessful.
by Didacus Malowa Florence Owiti
