The High Court has stepped in to mediate growing tension between parents and the management of Liten High School after a controversial Ksh 49,000 fine was imposed on each student following recent unrest at the school.
Lawyers Danstan Omari and Shadrack Wambui, representing the parents, pleaded with the court to consider the financial struggles facing families, urging that students be allowed to resume classes after paying Ksh 10,000 each instead of the full amount.
“If others are in school and others are not, are we not instigating another strike? Let’s listen to the pain of the boys and their parents,” said Omari, describing the fine as excessive and insensitive to parents already struggling with school fees and economic hardship.
Parents said the demand for Ksh 49,000 per child had left many households in distress, with some unable to raise even the first term’s fees. “We are not refusing to cooperate with the school, but we simply cannot afford that amount at once,” one parent told the court.
The school principal, however, maintained that the institution needed at least Ksh 25,000 per student to repair dormitories, replace burnt computers, and restock food supplies, following the destruction caused by the unrest.
The school’s lawyer defended the decision, saying it was approved by the Board of Management and was essential to restore learning conditions.
In an effort to ease the standoff, the court proposed a middle ground that each student pays Ksh 10,000 immediately and another Ksh 5,000 within a week to allow all learners back in class and sit for exams as the case continues.
Omari welcomed the move, calling it “a reasonable temporary solution that restores dignity to both parents and students,” while the principal also agreed, promising flexibility as parents continue settling the balance.
The dispute arose after the school slapped each student with a Ksh 49,699 reconstruction levy to rebuild facilities damaged in a dormitory fire sparking public outrage and sending parents to court for intervention.
