An image circulating online has sparked outrage after showing two Litein Girls High School students stranded outside the school gate at night, allegedly after being denied entry by the principal.
According to reports, the students had arrived late from the mid-term break, some traveling long distances from Nairobi and other parts of the country.
When they reached the school gate on the evening of October 3, they were reportedly told to remain outside for arriving past the reporting deadline.
In the photo obtained by Kenyans.co.ke, the girls can be seen sitting close together on the ground outside the main gate — their faces lit only by the dim evening light.
Witnesses claimed that the school’s principal instructed the girls to return home, despite the late hour. The decision triggered a public outcry, with many Kenyans condemning the move as unsafe and inhumane.
“Why couldn’t she let them in for the night and send them back the next morning if discipline was really the issue?” one parent lamented on social media.
Others questioned the administration’s lack of compassion.
“What were those children supposed to do in the dark? Anything could have happened to them,” another user wrote.
This is not an isolated case. Earlier this year, several students at St. Anne’s Girls Secondary School in Nairobi were locked out overnight for fee arrears. The standoff only ended after Makadara MP George Aladwa intervened and sent his staff to ensure the girls were allowed back in.
In March, seven students from Kegonye Secondary School in Nyeri also faced a similar ordeal after being turned away for reporting an hour late. With no means to return home, they were eventually taken to a local police station for safety.
As investigations into the Litein Girls incident continue, parents and education advocates are calling on school administrators to prioritize student safety — even in matters of discipline.
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