Sebei College suspends all fourth-grade students due to strike

Sebei College in Tegeres, Kapchorwa District, has suspended all 264 fourth-form students from classes after a violent strike destroyed school property worth millions of shillings.

The strike occurred on Thursday evening, July 4, 2024, after school administration changed the meal distribution program, much to the anger of students.

According to the students, who asked to remain anonymous, meals are usually served to the fourth-grade class first, but on that day other classes were given priority, which led to the strike.

School officials confirm that students were told to arrive last, which sparked the violence.

In a suspension letter signed by the school’s principal, Mr Johnson Limo, the students are accused of destroying school buildings, windows and security cameras. The extent of the damage is still being ascertained.

“I regret to inform you that on Thursday between 6:50 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. an act of violence led by all students of the fourth grade took place, which resulted in serious damage to school buildings. The extent of the damage is being assessed by the district engineer and will be announced later,” the suspension letter dated July 5 states.

It continued: “Accordingly, all Grade 4 students have been suspended indefinitely with immediate effect. This was following a decision taken at an emergency meeting between all members of the Governing Body, Parent Teacher Association (PTA), School Management and District Safety Committee chaired by the RDC Kapchorwa office.”

Kapchorwa Deputy District Commissioner (RDC), Mr Martin Sakajja, confirmed that the students were upset over the change in the feeding programme and showed indiscipline, which led to their suspension.

Initial investigations indicate that some teachers may have been involved in the strike.

Police were called to restore order and remove the students from the school premises. The suspects were arrested and detained at Kapchorwa Central Police Station but were released on bail on Saturday evening.

The school management, parents and the district security committee have decided to allow the police to conduct investigations. The suspended students are expected to appear again on July 14, 2024. Each parent has agreed to pay Sh100,000 as compensation.

This is the second strike at the same school in less than two years. The previous strike took place in October 2023 over a broken promise to show an English Premier League match.

Ms Justin Chebet, a retired teacher, expressed her disappointment at the students’ misbehavior, especially at a time when they should be concentrating on their studies.

Sebei College in Tegeres has a rich history dating back to 1956 and is a beacon of hope for underprivileged children in Sebei and the surrounding areas.