15-year-old KCSE candidate suspended for carrying chewing gum.
A 15-year-old Form Four student at St. Albertina Kiongwani Girls High School in Sultan Hamud is on the verge of missing her national exams after being suspended in what many see as a harsh punishment.
The girl was accused of having three packets of chewing gum, which led the school administration to send her home with a condition attached for her return.
According to her family, the school ordered her to bring back three packets of gum for each student in the institution before she could resume classes.
With the school’s population, this adds up to about KSh16,800, an amount her struggling family says they cannot afford.
Her mother says the student was already barred from the end-of-term two exams, with the school declining to admit her even after repeated pleas.
“I am deeply worried my child may miss her KCSE exams,” the distressed mother said.
Efforts to get clarification from the school were unsuccessful. Principal Jackline Kyalo refused to issue any comment on the matter when approached by reporters.
The case has since ignited public outrage, with many Kenyans on social media questioning the fairness of the punishment and urging the Ministry of Education to intervene before the girl’s future is destroyed.
