Litein Boys vandalise school property over poorly cooked rice

Disturbance at the school began around 9:00 PM after students raised concerns about being served poorly prepared rice during one of their meals. [iStockphoto]

A meal of allegedly undercooked rice sparked chaos at Litein Boys High School Tuesday night, leaving behind a trail of destruction and prompting a swift police response to quell the unrest.

According to police reports, the disturbance at the school in Bureti constituency began around 9:00 PM after students raised concerns about being served poorly prepared rice during one of their meals.

What started as grumbling in the dining hall quickly escalated into a full-blown protest, with angry students vandalizing school property, including classroom window panes and the main gate.

The school administration, overwhelmed by the scale of the rampage, alerted local police for assistance.

Officers led by Litein OCPD Benedict Chirchir arrived at the scene and were forced to use tear gas to disperse the students, who had engaged in running battles with the officers within the school compound.

"We are still trying to assess the damages caused by the students last night," said Chirchir, adding that calm had since been restored and no serious injuries were reported.

He added that the Board of Management convened an emergency meeting on Wednesday morning to deliberate on the incident and determine the appropriate course of action. Sources indicated that temporary closure of the school was among the options under consideration.