By Mumo Judah
June 8, 2026
Several students from Bishop Sulumeti Girls High School in Lugari, Kakamega County, were rushed to hospital on Sunday night, June 7, 2026, following a protest triggered by a prolonged water shortage at the institution, with police intervening to restore order as tensions escalated inside the school compound.
The unrest reportedly began in the evening when learners staged a demonstration to express frustration over the persistent lack of water at the school. Unconfirmed accounts further indicated that some students allegedly switched off the institution’s main power supply and threw stones while chanting demands to be sent home, as the situation quickly escalated.
Local law enforcement officers were deployed to contain the disturbance after the protest intensified. During the operation, police used tear gas within the school premises to disperse the rioting students and restore calm.
The deployment of the gas led to a medical emergency, with dozens of learners experiencing acute smoke inhalation, panic attacks, and fainting episodes. Emergency response teams later moved in to assist in evacuations.
The affected students were rushed to Lumakanda Sub-County Hospital, where medical personnel confirmed they had been stabilized. According to hospital updates, the learners are currently in stable condition and are responding well to treatment.
Amid widespread social media claims suggesting that a dormitory had been burned during the incident, authorities have dismissed the reports as misinformation. Administrators and security officials clarified that no buildings were set on fire at Bishop Sulumeti Girls High School during the unrest.
Officials further noted that the viral claims appeared to have been confused with unrelated past tragedies, including a recent fire incident at Kakamega High School on June 5, as well as the fatal dormitory fire at Utumishi Girls Academy in Nakuru County in late May that left 16 students dead.
Security teams have since restored calm at the institution as investigations continue into the root cause of the protest and the circumstances surrounding the police response.
