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Chaos at Muthambi Girls as students stage demo, demand transfer of principal
Some of the Muthambi Girls' High School students who left on Tuesday night resume on the morning of August 4, 2021.
Students from Muthambi Girls' High in Tharaka Nithi County staged a protest on Tuesday night and walked out of the school's premises, vowing not to return until their issues are addressed.
They are protesting what they term as high handedness by the new principal, Ms Rose Kiragu, as well as poor food quality that saw some of them end up in hospital recently.
The Form Four, Three and Two girls reportedly forced Form Ones into the dining hall and locked them there before walking out of the school, vowing to only resume once Ms Kiragu is transferred.
Some of the students who spoke to Nation.Africa said the new principal had declined to listen to their grievances, especially about their meals.
They say they are being fed rotten maize, which they claim was bought before schools were closed early last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
"We have been eating rotten maize since we resumed school from the Covid-19 break,” said one learner who sought anonymity for fear of victimisation.
A week before last term's closure, 19 girls were admitted at Chuka Consolata Hospital with stomach complications believed to have been caused by the bad maize.
Parents have also expressed disappointment with the school's management after they were barred from accessing the premises to establish the whereabouts of their daughters who were yet to arrive home by 11 am.
Parents camp outside Muthambi Girls' High School on August 4, 2021.
They said the school's administration never notified parents that 19 girls had been admitted to hospital with stomach complications.
Ms Mary Makena, a parent, said she learned of the strike from media reports, yet the school had not notified them of the incident.
"My daughter is still missing and I have been denied access to the school to talk to the administration," said Ms Makena.
The media was also barred from entering the school, with gatekeepers stating that the principal gave strict instructions to not let journalists or parents in.
Efforts by Nation.Africa to reach the principal or the County Director of Education, Ms Bridget Wambua, were futile by press time.
Mr Nicholas Mutegi, a local resident, reported hearing screams at around 2am and that by 3am, the girls had broken out of school through the fence after the gatekeeper refused to open the gate.
A section of the demolished fence through which students reportedly left the school on Tuesday night.
