Jamhuri High School: Parents Protest as Form 4 Candidates Remain Locked Out Over Discipline Row

Parents of 27 Form Four students at Jamhuri High School are demanding urgent intervention after the learners were allegedly locked out of school following a disciplinary dispute linked to an April walkout.

The standoff has sparked concern among families who fear the candidates could miss valuable learning time ahead of the 2026 KCSE examinations.

The students from Jamhuri High School are said to have forced their way out of the institution on March 28 after protesting a decision by the administration to keep Form Four candidates in school for an extra week of revision while lower classes proceeded for the April holidays. The matter has since escalated into a confrontation between parents and the school administration over the conditions set for the students’ return.

Parents claim the affected candidates reported back for Term Two accompanied by their guardians, only to be denied entry and allegedly instructed to clear all fee balances and purchase plastic seats before being readmitted. The situation has left several learners stranded at home as uncertainty continues to surround their return to Jamhuri High School.

“My son has just been idling at home despite being a candidate as I am financially strained and cannot afford the seats the school is demanding for that range between Sh1,000 and Sh1,300,” said a parent as per Nation.

Why Did  Jamhuri High School Students Walk Out?

Families of the students insist that the learners did not vandalize property during the walkout and argue that the unrest at Jamhuri High School was fueled by mounting academic pressure and frustration over the prolonged stay in school after other students had already broken for the holidays.

According to parents, candidates at Jamhuri High School had been instructed to remain in school for remedial lessons for an additional week beyond the official closing date. Some parents also alleged that they were asked to pay extra money to facilitate the revision sessions.

“We were asked to pay Sh1,500 for the remedial classes during their one week stay in school even when it is clear that it is an illegal levy,” said another parent.

However, Jamhuri High School principal Duncan Juma has denied allegations that parents were asked to buy plastic seats or pay remedial fees as punishment for the students’ actions. He maintained that the disciplinary measures taken by the school were in line with institutional rules governing student conduct.

“Some 27 of the 300 Form Four students left on the March 28 which was against the school rules and those ones were to come for disciplinary action and nobody asked their parents for money because it was within the school term nor plastic seats,” said Mr Juma.

Will the Jamhuri High School Candidates Return to School Soon?

The principal further stated that a meeting had been convened between the administration and parents of the affected students to address the matter. According to him, the only requirement communicated to families was the need for learners to clear outstanding school fees to facilitate school operations at Jamhuri High School.

“You will realise that most of those indiscipline boys are the ones with fees problems. There is one that owes the school Sh105,000 while the school fees here is Sh53,000. Fees must be paid because there are running costs that must be met,” said Mr Juma.

The dispute has once again placed Jamhuri High School under public scrutiny due to its history of student unrest and disciplinary incidents. In recent years, the school has experienced several disturbances, including dormitory fires and violent clashes among students. In 2018, Jamhuri High School was closed indefinitely after a fight left seven students seriously injured, while a 2021 fire destroyed a dormitory that accommodated 300 learners.

Education stakeholders are now calling for dialogue between parents and the administration to ensure the affected candidates resume learning quickly. With the 2026 KCSE examinations scheduled to begin in October, concerns continue to grow over the academic future of the students caught up in the standoff at Jamhuri High School.