The management of a girls’ school in Gatanga has denied allegations that students left the compound following an invasion by young men.
115 students from Kiunyu Girls Secondary, some with bare feet, walked to Thika Town.
The distance between the school and the town is about 16.1 kilometers and would take 26 minutes by car and four hours by road to reach Thika.
According to the school principal Jane Njeri Kanyi, the students made the dramatic decision to escape from school following new rules that she introduced.
She also stated that the girls were told to be going to class on Sunday mornings before church and that is what caused a standoff. Learning has been brought to a halt and the school closed for one week as parents and teachers deliberate on the way forward.
The students are expected to return next week even as reports indicate that the school also faces a challenge of few teachers.