Kericho Tea Boys High School,has been closed indefinitely after students went on strike over claims that the school management failed to honour a meal plan drawn up following a donation from President William Ruto.
The students reportedly prepared the menu after receiving KSh500,000 from the President to cater for their meals.
A student who spoke on condition of anonymity said the proposed menu was expected to run for several weeks, with rice and beans for lunch and meat and ugali for supper for four to five consecutive weeks.
According to the student,the plan also included bread for breakfast during the sixth and seventh weeks.
The final week was to end with a special meal on the closing day, which had been allocated KSh67,000.
However, the students claimed the school only followed the menu for two days before reverting to its usual meals, which included githeri for lunch and beans and ugali for supper.
“The school failed to honour the plan and we ate rice and beans for lunch, meat and ugali for supper for only two days, then they went back to githeri and beans and ugali,” the student said.
The disagreement over the meals reportedly led to unrest at the school early in the morning, with students damaging windows in the dormitories.
The situation prompted the intervention of the Kericho County CEC for Education, after which the students were released and the school closed indefinitely.
Ruto donated KSh5.5 million to the school two weeks ago during his tour of the South Rift region.
Of the total amount, KSh5 million was set aside for development projects, while KSh500,000 was intended to cater for students’ meals.
The closure follows the unrest over the implementation of the meal plan.
