18 students from Cardinal Otunga Girls High School in Bungoma County have been sent home for allegedly being in possession of mobile phones, and engaging in lesbianism.
Citizen Digital is in possession of the suspension letters dated September 28, which were issued to the students as they were sent home on Thursday.
Parents who sought anonymity told Citizen Digital that the students had been earlier suspended on September 18, and had been summoned for a disciplinary hearing on September 28.
“At the hearing, students were harassed, forced to accept the allegations. Imagine a teacher threatening a child that ‘if you annoy me I will hit you’ some of them ended up accepting what was not true,” one parent said.
The parents add that the school asked them to go home with their children, on an indefinite suspension. They were told to await further communication from the board, on an unknown date.
Another parent says that while at the hearing, his daughter was accused of lesbianism as a result of ‘dancing inappropriately’ during an entertainment session.
“They had entertainment during a weekend, and were dancing. Has the ministry set up standards on how students should dance?” he posed.
According to sources, nearly 14 of the suspended students are form four candidates, who are expected to sit the national exams in a few weeks.
The indefinite suspension has left the parents in a big dilemma, wondering whether their daughters will sit the national exams.
“We are confused, disturbed by the move that school has taken. The psychological torture that our students are facing is deep, they have been subjected to shame and uncertainties,” a parent said.
On Thursday, Citizen TV crew was at the location, where a number of students were captured on camera leaving the school premises.
The publication reached out to the school principal Mrs. Christine Sifuna on Thursday, but she refused to comment as she was in a meeting.
On a second attempt to send her a text message, the principal responded; “Not true” with no further comment.
