Students at Chebwagan Boys High School in Kericho have returned home indefinitely after a night strike on January 11, 2026. The Kericho County Director of Education ordered the closure amid student anger over the administration's failure to provide glucose and uphold dietary standards for last year's KCSE candidates, compounded by dissatisfaction with poor national exam results. Police oversaw the students' departure with their belongings the following morning.
Chebwagan Boys High School in Kericho has been closed indefinitely, just a week after reopening for the new term. The unrest erupted on the night of Sunday, January 11, 2026, as students protested the administration's alleged failure to provide glucose to some pupils and to maintain dietary standards for Form Four candidates who took the 2025 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams. Dissatisfaction with the current leadership, stemming from the school's poor performance in last year's national examinations, further fueled the strike.
The Kericho County Director of Education issued the closure order to defuse the situation. Videos circulating online depict students exiting the school gates with their possessions under police supervision on the morning of Monday, January 12. It is unclear whether the protests involved any rampage or damage to school property.
Local residents reportedly hurried to the school upon hearing of the strike, aiming to ease tensions and avert major destruction. The school administration has not yet released an official statement, leaving uncertainty about when classes will resume. This incident occurred early in the first term, following a two-month holiday period.
The Ministry of Education outlines that schools will proceed with learning for the next 13 weeks before a three-week break starting April 2, 2026, with the second term beginning on April 27. A mid-term break is scheduled from February 25 to March 1, 2026.
