Wamuzi News Ke
In a shocking display of zero-tolerance discipline, a Form Four student at St. Albertina-Kiongwani Girls High School in Makueni County stands to miss her KCSE exams after her suspension for possessing chewing gum—an action stirring nationwide outrage.
The 15-year-old was caught with chewing gum tucked inside her bag during a routine security check after returning from mid-term break. Describing it as an innocent lapse, her mother said the gum had been forgotten in the bag—a mistake immediately admitted by the student.
But the school’s response has shocked even stricter segments of the education debate. Administrators demanded the purchase of chewing gum for the entire student body—580 pupils—as a condition for her return. At a cost of KSh 16,800, the fine has raised eyebrows over its fairness, particularly given the burden of standard school fees and the pressures of the national exam season.
With her suspension stretching into critical exam time, she’s already missed the end-of-term assessments and the opening exams of the new term—one late misstep that may irreversibly derail her academic future.
Public reaction has been fierce. Parents and officials alike are denouncing the measure as draconian and contrary to legal guidelines protecting the right to education. Some have urged the Ministry of Education to intervene, warning that such punishment sets a dangerous precedent.
The county’s Education Director has acknowledged receiving the complaint and has launched a formal investigation.
As this story unfolds, attention now turns to whether authorities will uphold student rights—or let bureaucratic severity silence her future.
Stephen Musungu
