Bungoma High principal under students’ siege

Several students from Bungoma High School were injured when they engaged police in running battles.

The boys engaged police in hide and seek games as they protested against the Principal Samuel Kaunda whom they accused of ruling them with an iron fist.

They also destroyed the school property of unknown value as they broke the classrooms window panes and pelted the school bus with stones.

“Our principal is ‘big headed’ he doesn’t listen to anybody including teachers, he has banned all co-curricular activities and says the school is not a talent centre but an academic centre,” claimed one student. Police clobbered a number of them in Bungoma town who carried twigs to stage protests.

One student sustained bad injuries from a tear gas canister thrown at him by the police in the school compound. his thighs were badly burnt, and was rushed to Bungoma County Referral Hospital where he is receiving medication.

“He is arrogant and not a team player and rules us like kids. We are even tired of his colonial behavior. Let TSC transfer this guy elsewhere or else Bungoma High School will continue sinking in academic performance,” added another teacher.

Kaunda was transferred from Sawagongo Boys, Siaya county in 2016 where he swapped positions with Edward Wachilonga.

The embattled principal is on the spotlight for using a foul language while addressing students and teachers and he often takes unnecessary disciplinary actions against them.

The tension was also raised following the alleged death of a Form One student who fell from his bed on Wednesday, February 27, but was pronounced dead while receiving medication at a local hospital.

Efforts to get a comment from Kaunda were futile as he was engaged in resolving the matter. Bungoma County Director of Education Fred Osewe and other senior education officials have arrived at the learning institution ready to solve the issue from escalating farther.