By Wakhungu Andanje
A violent riot rocked Friends Malava Boys’ High School on the night of Sunday, 29th March 2026, when a section of students went on a rampage, looting and destroying school property.
The unrest left several prefects seriously injured after they were attacked by fellow learners for reporting students who had sneaked out of the school.
The incident began around 8:30 p.m., when a student spotted some wayward classmates sneaking out through a fence and alerted the dormitory captain. In response, the captain and other prefects set up a dragnet to apprehend them upon their return.
Between 9:00 and 11:00 p.m., neighbours reported hearing howling, shouting, banging doors, and breaking glass. Police sirens were soon heard approaching the school.According to aggrieved students, those who had sneaked out returned with allies and attacked the student who had leaked the information, beating him severely.
When prefects tried to rescue him, they too were assaulted and forced to flee to the sickbay. The angry mob followed, smashing windows and attempting to break through the steel door.
Teachers and security personnel rushed to the scene and called in officers from Kabras police station to quell the violence.In their rage, the students broke into the school bakery and canteen, making off with confectioneries, other sellable items, and cash.
They also tampered with power connections in what appeared to be an attempt to set the institution on fire. The school has since been closed indefinitely, just one day before the official end of term.
Efforts to get a statement from Senior Principal Moses Moyi proved futile. He kept the press waiting from 9:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., then left without comment. Later, he told journalists they had come on a bad day and should return the next day. By the time the press left, education officials from the county and sub-county had arrived for a briefing.
Moyi, who took over the school late last year, has faced mounting criticism. A dormitory was burned down barely a month after his arrival, and despite requests, he has refused to release that investigation report. Parents and education stakeholders now question his leadership, especially after Sunday’s near-tragedy.
Confidential sources allege the school lacks clean, sufficient water despite having harvesting tanks, a borehole, and tap water—pointing to poor maintenance. Moyi is also accused of failing to work with most teaching and non-teaching staff, relying only on a select few. Murmurs of discontent are growing, with calls for his transfer echoing among parents and the local community.