The Ministry of Education on Thursday, February 11, temporarily shut down Gatsibo-based Gakoni Adventist College, in Kiramuruzi sector, following a student’s strike that destroyed the school’s property.

The strike took place on Saturday, February 7.

In a letter seen by The New Times on Thursday, the Minister of Education, Valentine Uwamariya said that the decision was taken subsequent to acts of vandalism by some students and refusal to co-operate with the school administration.

According to the letter, 16 students who incited the strike and also fought police who intervened to restore order at the school are in custody, while the other students have been asked to return home.

"The Ministry of Education and concerned authorities are investigating the disturbance,” reads part of the letter signed Wednesday, February 10.

Information from Rwanda Education Board (REB) indicates that Gakoni Adventist College has 372 students, of which 288 are Congolese refugees from Nyabiheke and Gihembe refugee camps located in the same area.

The Genesis

Speaking to The New Times in a phone call interview, Ally Hassan Ngamije, Gatsibo District Director of Education, noted that the ring-leader of the strike is a 23-year old student who was suspended after he was warned on several occasions indulging in improper activities such as alcohol abuse.

"On February 3, he was suspended by the school administration, but he later refused to comply with the directive,” said Ngamije, adding, "Information we have from the school shows that this student has been warned on several occasions and he has also consistently refused to abide by the school rules and regulations.”

However, he added, when it was later found out that the student refused to be punished, the police intervened to restore order in the school.

"On this day, other students rebelled against this decision and stoned the police commander’s car, which led to the arrest of 15 other students.”

While there has not been an estimation of the destroyed property, information from Gatsibo district indicates that on the night of February 7, students continued with the strike and damaged dormitory windows, school offices among others.

Investigation under-way

A reliable source who spoke to The New Times noted that the alleged suspects for inciting the strike have been handed to the Rwanda Investigation Bureau to further investigate the cause.

The source also said that in the group of 16 students, "The youngest is 17 years of age while only 2 are above 20.”

Nine of them are boys while the rest are girls, the source said.

According to Ngamije, "Local authorities are in talks with the Ministry of Education to see that those students who were not part of the strike are facilitated in their daily lessons.”

Efforts to get a comment from RIB were futile by press time.