M M Wairaka College in Jinja has been closed over students’ strike.
The strike started on Monday morning when students marched to Jinja district education offices in Jinja town, instead of going for break fast.
The students were reportedly protesting against poor administration by the school head teacher, Paul Kato Ssetimba. They accuse him of making unnecessary suspensions with monetary fines, feeding them on poorly-cooked beans and posho, increasing fees and failing to call for PTA meetings for a period of three years.
The students on Monday met the Jinja chief administrative officer, Ben Otim together with the district education officer, who convinced them to go back to school with a promise that a special committee would be set up to look into their grievances.
But the students demanded for the immediate transfer of the school head teacher, whom the Jinja district administrators said would be taken away after investigations.
However in the morning of Thursday, students started regrouping for a sit down strike again by refusing to go to class.
Police was quickly called in to avert any acts of violence and the management together with the Jinja district education officer agreed to close the school pending investigations.
Jonathan Musinguzi, Jinja district police commander told our reporter that they decided to close the school because people’s security was being threatened.
Ssetimba declined to give any comment when contacted.
