Kihumbuini Primary Pupils Avoid School as Machogu Blames Protestors on Teargas Incident
The population of New Kihumbuini Primary School has not returned to normal two days after it was assaulted with tear gas during protests against the high cost of living.
Friday, 495 of the 2,333 students who attend that school were absent from class.
Even for those who returned to school, the effects of this traumatic event persist; three children fainted and had to be taken to the hospital; their caretakers say they are now readily triggered by any loud noise.
They joined another pupil and teacher who were still receiving medical care for injuries sustained during the chaos on Wednesday.
Two days after the incident, while touring the school, Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu deemed the teargas incident regrettable.
According to locals, the teargas canister was purportedly thrown into the classroom by police officers dispersing opposition protesters. However, CS Machogu appears to have a different account.
In addition to urging the security agencies to exercise caution in their use of crowd control tools, he warned against what he deemed mischief by protesting members of the public.
“The teargas canister was not lobbed into the school, but outside…some naughty person decided to pick it and throw it into the school compound,” he said.
The CS stated that learning in schools will not be disrupted, despite the opposition’s promise to intensify protests next week; rather, the government will increase security for students.
On Wednesday, more organizations joined the debate over the violence perpetrated against school-aged children.
In a statement, the United Nations Children’s Fund for Education (Unicef) expressed alarm over “the reports of children being exposed to tear gas and other dangers present in large crowds,” describing them as “alarming.”
All involved parties were urged by Unicef to take the necessary steps to ensure the safety and protection of children.
According to the Children’s Education Fund, children should never be subjected to injury, and their basic right to education must be protected.
Kihumbuini Primary Pupils Avoid School as Machogu Blames Protestors on Teargas Incident