St. George’s Girls Secondary School in Nairobi has been closed indefinitely following a violent protest by students after a teacher allegedly assaulted one of their peers.

Dagoretti North Deputy County Commissioner George Juma confirmed to The Standard of the move, stating that security officials and the school board agreed to suspend learning until further notice.

The unrest broke out on Sunday night, September 7, during evening studies when a geography teacher reportedly asked students to step outside to witness a rare lunar eclipse.

Some students, including Muslim learners returning from prayers, delayed going back to class.

According to witnesses, the teacher confronted one student and allegedly struck her, sparking outrage.

The victim’s screams drew the attention of fellow students, who quickly confronted the teacher. The situation escalated into a full-scale protest, with students chanting “We want justice” and smashing the school gate.

A video clip of the standoff went viral, showing students marching onto State House Road, where they camped overnight, demanding the teacher’s dismissal.

Parents rushed to the school after receiving distress calls from their daughters.

“We asked the administration to make one decision, either release all the students or allow them all to stay,” said Moses Akivaga, a parent.

Police later arrested the implicated teacher to prevent further violence.

Parents accused the administration of failing to act decisively, while students complained about the principal’s alleged high-handedness and frequent use of corporal punishment.

Matters worsened when Form Four candidates threatened to torch dormitories if they were forced to remain, while others went home.

Fearing escalation, education officials opted to shut down the school indefinitely.

“This is a very unfortunate situation, especially just weeks before national exams. But the safety of the students comes first,” an education officer said.