St. George’s Girls Secondary School in Nairobi has been closed indefinitely following a night of chaos involving more than 1,800 students.
The unrest started late Sunday after an alleged altercation between a teacher and a Form Three student. The student, who wears braces, reportedly sustained a jaw injury. Witnesses said the incident occurred while students were observing the “blood moon” during a full solar eclipse around 9:30 pm.
Angry students pulled down the school gate and marched onto Dennis Pritt Road. They staged a sit-in and later marched to the nearby Royal Media Services offices, chanting and protesting. Attempts to persuade them to return to the school were met with resistance.
Police intervened around midnight, escorting students back inside the school compound. However, the students refused to return to their dormitories. Officers kept watch at the gate throughout the night to maintain order.
By Monday morning, government and education officials, including the Dagoretti North Subcounty Commissioner and Kilimani OCPD Patricia Yegon, arrived to calm the situation.
At around 10 am, the school administration announced the indefinite closure, giving students just 20 minutes to vacate the premises. Parents had already begun arriving as the decision was communicated.
The closure comes amid rising concerns over student unrest in schools. Education officials are expected to investigate both the alleged assault and the destruction of property. Authorities have urged calm and promised corrective measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.
