This archive report was first published on 17 July 2021.
On July 16, 2021, a chaotic scene unfolded at Ntuene primary school when police officers attempted to arrest a teacher, sparking a confrontation with pupils.
According to reports, the police officers fired shots into the air to disperse the pupils, who were pelting stones at the officers. Several pupils were injured in the ensuing chaos.
"It is very unprofessional for the police to act in such a manner in school in the presence of the children. They should have arrested her at home. The officers used excessive force. They tore her clothes in the arrest process," said headteacher Angello Kamenchu.
The police had stormed the school to arrest the teacher, who allegedly had a dispute with a local trader. The incident comes on the heels of a similar incident at the University of Nairobi, where police arrested three student leaders for participating in protests against a proposed fee increment.
Earlier, on July 14, 2021, police had arrested three University of Nairobi student leaders for taking part in peaceful protests against the proposed fee increment. The student leaders had given a 48-hour ultimatum to the institution over the fee increment saga.
The proposed fee increment had sparked widespread protests, with students and their leaders terming it as a 'fee increment saga.' The new fees were to apply to new students enrolling to join the University starting from August 2021.
However, the Ministry of Education later suspended all universities' fee increment plans after holding a meeting with stakeholders. University Education PS Simon Nabukwesi directed all institutions to shelve the plan until 2022.
