City school closed after students clash

Nairobi, Kenya: Riruta Central Secondary School in Nairobi was on Saturday closed indefinitely after a group of Sudanese and Kenyan students fought.

Police were sent to the private secondary school following the clash between the two groups. Reports indicated that the fighting broke out after a Sudanese student claimed his suit case had been broken into and Sh5,000 stolen.

His colleagues claimed that investigations were being carried out at a slow pace and started to beat the Kenyans.

"One Kenyan student said a Sudanese accused him of being a thief and slapped him, which led to the clashes," said Dagoretti OCPD Rashid Mohamed.

ALLEGED ROBBERY

He said after the slapping incident, the Kenyan students regrouped and started an all out war Sunday morning. Mohamed said the alleged robbery is said to have taken place on Saturday at the school's dormitories. "The administration decided to close the school after it emerged the situation was worsening. They will be informed of the investigations later," said Mohamed.

When contacted, the school administration however dismissed The Standard, saying there was nothing out of the ordinary going on.

Two Sudanese students sustained minor injuries to their faces and heads, which they claimed happened when stones were thrown at them.

It was however, unclear how many students from the Kenyan side were injured as they had been isolated inside the school.

The students were later separated and sent home until further notice.

Those who still lingered around the school compound were chased away by Administrative Police officers. The enrollment of the mixed day and boarding school is at 346 students, with about 60 being Sudanese.