Chesamisi High School has been closed indefinitely following violent unrest allegedly caused by students after the school lost a zonal football match to St. Peters Nakalira Boys High School during games held on May 24.
The match, played at Kamusinde Boys High School grounds, reportedly descended into chaos after Chesamisi students boycotted the zonal semifinal fixture while trailing 2-1 against Nakalira.
Reports indicate tensions rose after students from the host school joined Nakalira supporters in celebrating the victory, angering Chesamisi supporters who protested the outcome of the match.
Witnesses said the situation quickly became chaotic, forcing organisers and officials to intervene to prevent further escalation.
Following the unrest, the Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association suspended all remaining matches that had been scheduled to take place at the Kamusinde grounds.
Later that night, fresh allegations emerged claiming Chesamisi students vandalised property at Kamusinde High School as tensions spilled beyond the football pitch.
In a social media post shared around midnight, Kamusinde Boys High School claimed the institution was under attack.
“Chesamisi Boys have decided to launch an attack on us this night. We are under attack,” the school posted on its Facebook page.
The unrest reportedly spread to neighbouring farmland after students allegedly invaded a nearby sugarcane plantation and destroyed crops belonging to a local farmer.
The affected farmer has since demanded investigations into the incident and compensation from authorities and the Ministry of Education over the destruction of the crops.
The incident has renewed concerns over rising cases of unrest in schools across Kenya, including strikes, destruction of property, walkouts, and fires that have disrupted learning in several counties.
Earlier this month, the Ministry of Education convened an emergency virtual meeting with public secondary school principals and education officers to address the growing wave of school unrest.
During the meeting held on May 14, school heads were directed to strengthen communication with students and improve preventive measures aimed at curbing cases of violence, strikes, and unauthorised student exits.