Public outrage has erupted following reports that a 24-year-old woman, Dona Makena, was allegedly assaulted by school staff at Forest Primary School in Kiminini, Trans Nzoia County, after accompanying her younger brother back to school.
The incident reportedly occurred on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, after Makena's Grade 7 brother was sent home over unpaid lunch fees, sparking a confrontation that has since drawn calls for disciplinary and legal action against the staff members implicated.
According to accounts circulating online, Makena returned to the school with her brother after education officials reportedly intervened to allow the pupil to sit his examinations.
However, the situation allegedly escalated when she entered the school administrator's office, where the headteacher, David Simiyu, and another teacher, Naphtali Odunga, were accused of physically assaulting her.
Reports further alleged that Makena and her father were subsequently locked inside the school's staffroom following the confrontation.
The allegations have triggered widespread condemnation on social media, with members of the public and human rights advocates calling on the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) and law enforcement agencies to investigate the incident and take appropriate action.
Makena is reported to have sustained serious abdominal injuries during the alleged assault, with accounts indicating that a recently healed Caesarean section scar was reopened.
The reported injuries have heightened concerns about the circumstances surrounding the confrontation and the treatment she allegedly received at the school.
The incident has also raised questions about how schools handle disputes involving parents, guardians and pupils, particularly when such disagreements concern access to education and school-related charges.
Online reports indicate that representatives from the school subsequently sought to visit Makena's family home to ask for forgiveness following the public backlash. However, the circumstances of the reported outreach and whether any formal complaint has been lodged with the relevant authorities remain unclear.
Calls are mounting for the TSC to establish the circumstances that led to the alleged assault and determine whether the conduct of the staff members involved warrants disciplinary action.
Members of the public have also urged the police to investigate the claims and ensure accountability if wrongdoing is established.
The allegations have placed renewed attention on the need for school administrators and teachers to resolve disputes through established procedures and avoid confrontations that could endanger pupils, parents or other members of the public.
As the incident draws increasing public attention, the relevant authorities are expected to establish what transpired at the school and determine the appropriate course of action.
The allegations against the named teachers have not been independently verified, and their responses to the claims were not available at the time of publication.
