Over 300 students sent home indefinitely after strike over food

Over 300 students at Kangeso Secondary School in Rongo were yesterday sent home indefinitely after going on strike over poor diet.

The students went on rampage saying the food at school is unpalatable and the school principal Richard Okinyi is too strict to be approached on the issue.

The strike began shortly before midnight on Sunday and the students marched to Okinyi's house but he escaped.

The students who were armed with crude weapons and stones destroyed properties worth millions of shillings.

They burned the principal's car, food store and broke classroom and offices' window panes and scorched exam materials for mid-term exams scheduled to begin yesterday.

"We had issues as the principal allowed students to go for sports without teachers' company, food and medication," a student said.

The students said the principal is too harsh towards his deputy and other teachers and insults them in their presence.

Okinyi defended himself by saying his leadership is impeccable and blamed the strike on examination fever and incitement by outsiders.

Police officers from Kamagambo Police Station intervened at 3am to contain the students who ran and hid in nearby sugar cane plantation.

The students were sent home yesterday morning.