A confrontation erupted at Muthurwa Girls Secondary School after a frustrated parent stormed the principal’s office, demanding the release of her sick daughter for medical attention.
Video footage circulating online captured a heated exchange between the parent and the school principal, with the woman questioning how the school had handled her daughter’s illness.
According to the parent, her daughter had been severely unwell for about three weeks, but alleged that repeated attempts to have the student released for proper medical care were unsuccessful.
The woman, who is believed to be the student’s mother, accused the principal of turning her away when she initially went to collect her daughter.
“Si nilikuja ukafukuza, you told me I had not followed protocols. I tried to reach out again but you hang my calls. Nikiongea na deputy ananisukuma kwa nurse, nikifika kwa nurse ananirudisha kwa principal,” she said.
The confrontation reportedly intensified inside the principal’s office, with local reports alleging shouting, table-banging and heated physical standoffs as the parent pressed for her daughter to be released.
The student’s father was also heard demanding that the school hand over the child while questioning why the situation had escalated.
“Tunaongea mambo ya mtoto wangu, tutulie aje? Si utupatie mtoto, ita polisi akuje tupatiwe mtoto twende naye. Hatujui, kwanini unatuongelesha vibaya,” he said.
The incident has since sparked debate online, with parents and other Kenyans questioning how schools should respond when students fall seriously ill while in their care.
One X user, Obano Stories, shared a personal experience, saying: “At our village boarding primary school we once lost one of our own because his illness was mistaken for homesickness. They gave him Panadol instead of getting him proper medical attention.”
Another user, Ray, wrote: “Three weeks of illness should never be taken lightly. A child’s health must come first.”