DNK International By Our Reporter, Trans Nzoia.
A section of parents and guardians of form four students at Kitale School have petitioned education authorities seeking an independent investigation into the handling of their daughters following an incident that led to their arrest and subsequent exclusion from school.
The parents have appealed to the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), Ministry of Education, Children’s Services and other oversight bodies to intervene, arguing that the prolonged absence of the students from school is threatening their academic progress ahead of the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations.
According to the petition, the matter began on June 13, 2026, when the school conducted a search involving form four girls at about 4pm.
Thirteen students were reportedly implicated in allegations that they were preparing to commit a felony of arson.
The parents said items including matchboxes and fire lighters were reportedly recovered during the search, but questioned the criteria used and why the exercise specifically targeted form students.
They further raised concerns over the treatment of the students after they were reportedly kept at the school until about 11pm before being taken to police cells.
The parents claim some students did not receive supper, adequate warm clothing, personal items or medication, while others who were menstruating allegedly lacked access to sanitary pads.
One student with a medical condition reportedly almost collapsed while at the police station.
The students were subsequently presented in court on June 15, although no plea was taken.
They were later returned to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), with some parents paying police bail while others were issued with free bail or bond documentation.
The petition also questions the timing and recording of the police occurrence book which was recorded after midnight on June 14 despite the reported arrests having taken place on June 13.
The parents have called for the original OB register and other relevant records to be examined to establish the circumstances surrounding the arrest and recording of the incident.
They add that on June 22, the students and their parents were referred to the Children’s Department for evidential counselling before the matter proceeded to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP).
By July 1, the case had entered the ODPP process, where the students were referred for counselling and diversion.
The matter they say that it subsequently ended through diversion without the students taking a criminal plea or facing a criminal trial.
However, the parents say the matter continued at the school level, with a disciplinary committee meeting held on July 17.
They claim that some of the students who had allegedly been found with matchboxes or fire lighters were allowed back to class, while five others, including AC were sent home over what the parents described as a fresh disciplinary charge.
The parents are now demanding an independent and impartial review of the entire matter, saying any disciplinary action should be lawful, proportionate, transparent and respectful of the students’ dignity and educational rights.
They have particularly urged authorities to ensure that the affected candidates are safely returned to school as any legitimate disciplinary or investigative process continues.
The petition has been copied to senior officials at the TSC and Ministry of Education, the Director of Children’s Services in Trans Nzoia, Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR), The CRADLE and the chairperson of the school’s Board of Management.
The parents maintain that they support lawful discipline but want the authorities to protect the educational welfare of the form four candidates, who are at a critical stage of preparation for their national examinations.
[DNK-International@September 14,2026]
