PCEA Mai a Ihii Booth High School in Kikuyu, Kiambu County, has been closed indefinitely as authorities investigate allegations of sexual abuse involving the school’s principal.
Kikuyu Sub-County Director of Education Jeremiah Kipaiyu said the decision was made after an assessment established that the institution could not continue operating safely following the loss of its key administrators.
“We established that the school is facing significant safety challenges due to the absence of essential members of the administration,” Kipaiyu said.
He explained that without the school’s leadership, effective supervision of learners, maintenance of discipline and the day-to-day management of the institution had been disrupted.
“At this point, the school may not be in a position to effectively handle emergencies or other risks. The Ministry will facilitate the deployment of new administrators and put in place the necessary measures before learning resumes,” he added.
The closure follows the arrest of the principal on Monday after parents reported allegations that he had sexually abused several learners.
The principal by the name Timothy Chege has since been arraigned and charged with committing an indecent act against a child.
According to investigators, the allegations emerged after some students disclosed to their parents that they had allegedly been inappropriately touched inside the principal’s office.
Police say investigations are ongoing and believe additional victims could come forward as detectives continue gathering information.
Kikuyu Sub-County Police Commander Joseph Ndegwa said the chairperson of the school’s Board of Management was also arrested after detectives established that he had allegedly interfered with investigations.
“He was attempting to obstruct investigations, forcing us to take legal action. Our investigations show the alleged incidents had been taking place for some time before they came to light,” Ndegwa said.
He added that investigations had so far linked the principal to allegations of inappropriate touching of male students.
The Board chairperson was later charged with obstruction of justice after allegedly trying to resolve the matter outside the legal process.
Meanwhile, detectives continue to interview students, teachers and other witnesses to determine the full extent of the case. The police commander said the court will decide whether to grant the principal bail after considering the progress of investigations and the possibility of interference with witnesses or other evidence.
