Kenyan student on the run after striking nail in school principal’s head

A Form Three student at a senior high school in the Kenyan town of Kericho has been declared wanted by authorities after he allegedly hammered a four-inch nail into the head of the school principal during an altercation.

According to local news outlet Nairobi News, the school principal at Ainamoi Secondary School, Godfrey Rono, was attacked by the wanted student on June 9 following a row over outstanding fees. The 18-year-old suspect is said to have struck the principal’s head with a wooden plank after he was asked to settle Sh7,000 ($64) in fees that he owed.

On the day before the attack, Kericho County Police Commander Silas Gichunge said Rono had directed the student’s locker to be seized until he settled the outstanding debt. The agitated student confronted Rono the next day and struck his head with the wooden plank while the principal was making his way out of the school. The principal was subsequently rushed to the hospital where he was treated for his head wound and discharged.

“We are looking for the culprit who did not report back to his parents’ home after the incident. Preliminary investigations indicate that the student attacked the teacher at around 6pm at his office and fled after inflicting serious head injuries,” a police officer told Nation, according to Pulse Live Kenya.

Gichunge added the suspect is very notorious for threatening teachers in the school, Nairobi News reported. “His behavior had been reported more than once,” he said.