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Kapenguria Boys Principal Caught Demanding Sh18 Million from Parents in a Collective Punishment After School Unrest
With approximately 1,640 students being asked to pay KSh 11,270 each, the total amount expected from parents exceeds KSh 18 million.
The recent wave of student unrest witnessed in several schools across the country has left many parents, teachers, and education stakeholders searching for answers. While acts of arson, vandalism, and destruction of school property must be condemned and those responsible held accountable, concerns often arise when the financial burden of such incidents is transferred to entire student populations regardless of individual involvement. Collective penalties have historically generated controversy because they affect students and parents who may have had no role in the incidents in question. Many parents argue that accountability should be based on investigations and evidence rather than blanket charges imposed on all learners. For families already struggling with school fees and the rising cost of living, additional levies running into thousands of shillings can place significant financial strain on households. The issue becomes even more sensitive when parents believe that certain groups of students were not involved in the unrest at all. In such circumstances, questions naturally emerge about fairness, due process, and whether innocent students are being punished for the actions of a few individuals. > Hello Nyakundi, > > Kindly hide my identity. > > I am a parent with a child at Kapenguria Boys High School, and I would like to raise concerns regarding the decision to charge parents for damages arising from the recent unrest at the school. > > Following the incident in which the mattress store and library were reportedly damaged or burned, parents have now been informed that each student is required to pay KSh 11,270 before reporting back to school. > > What I find difficult to understand is how every student has been made responsible for damages when it was clear from the beginning that not all learners participated in the unrest. > > In particular, I understand that Grade 10 students were reportedly locked inside their dormitories during the disturbances and did not participate in the destruction of school property. > > If that is the case, why are their parents also being required to pay for damages? > > My concern is not about excusing those who destroyed school property. > > Anyone found responsible should be held accountable. > > However, it appears unfair for innocent students and parents to be punished alongside those who allegedly  > organized and carried out the unrest. > From information shared among parents, it was allegedly known that a group of Form Three students played a significant role in facilitating the disturbances that led to the burning of the mattress store. > If investigations identified the main perpetrators, why is the financial burden being distributed across the entire student population? > The figures being discussed are substantial. > With approximately 1,640 students being asked to pay KSh 11,270 each, the total amount expected from parents exceeds KSh 18 million. > As parents, we are struggling to understand how the amount was arrived at and whether a detailed breakdown has been provided. > Many families are already struggling to clear school fees and meet other educational expenses. > Adding another KSh 11,270 per student is a significant burden, especially for parents whose children may have had nothing to do with the unrest. > I personally feel that innocent students should not be made to shoulder the cost of actions they neither participated in nor supported. > We are therefore appealing to the school administration, the Ministry of Education, and relevant education authorities to provide clarity on this matter. > Was a proper investigation conducted? > Were the students responsible identified? > How was the amount of KSh 11,270 calculated? > And why are students who were allegedly confined to their dormitories during the unrest being required to pay for damages? > As parents, we support discipline, accountability, and the protection of school property. > What we are questioning is whether collective punishment is fair when there are students who appear to have had no involvement in the incident. > Concerned Parent.
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