The closure was announced after a crisis meeting involving the school's Board of Governors, district security leaders, teachers and student representatives failed to resolve the impasse.
The meeting ended without consensus, prompting the District Security Committee to recommend a temporary closure to allow investigations into the unrest.
Tororo District Education Officer Albert Odoi said both students and teachers had indicated they were unwilling to continue with normal learning under the prevailing circumstances.
"We all attended the meeting, including the DISO, the RDC and the Board of Governors. Both learners and teachers expressed unwillingness to continue with the current learning environment, with each side presenting hard conditions. The security committee therefore advised that the school be closed for two weeks as we look for a lasting solution," Odoi told Nile Post.
Following the directive, police officers were deployed to the school on Tuesday to supervise the peaceful evacuation of students and prevent destruction of property. Learners were instructed to return home and report back after two weeks accompanied by their parents or guardians.
Tororo Resident District Commissioner Sadiq Bategana said the deployment was intended to maintain peace and protect lives and property.
"As the district security head, my responsibility is not only to monitor government programmes but also to protect lives and property. We therefore acted to ensure peace and prevent any possible destruction," Bategana said.
Student leaders accuse the school administration, led by Headteacher Frederick Brian Osamuk, of financial mismanagement, poor leadership and decisions they say have contributed to declining academic standards.
According to the students, each learner was required to pay Shs10,000 for extra lessons that were never conducted.
They also allege that candidates contributed Shs40,000 each for an educational trip to Kampala, only to be informed after payment that the excursion had been changed to a tour within Tororo District.
"The headteacher asked students to pay for extra lessons but no lessons were conducted. Candidates also paid Shs40,000 for a study tour to Kampala but after paying, we were informed that the trip had been changed to within Tororo," said Stephen Opendi, the school's UNSA chairperson.
Students further claim that the headteacher transferred experienced teachers and replaced them with less qualified staff, a move they say has negatively affected the quality of teaching and examination performance.
"He transferred away good teachers like Mr Ochola, who taught Geography, and Brenda Asuka, our English teacher, among many others. This has greatly affected learning," Opendi said.
The learners also allege that a strained relationship between the headteacher and members of staff has disrupted teaching, with some teachers reportedly staying away from school because of unresolved disagreements.
Questions have also been raised over the management of the school's finances, particularly regarding the school bus, which students say has remained grounded for a long time despite repeated requests for repairs.
"Our school bus has been grounded for a long time. Whenever we ask for it to be repaired, the headteacher says there is no money. We keep asking ourselves where our money is going," said student Phiona Achieng.
Students further accused the administration of scrapping bursary opportunities while increasing school fees, saying the changes have placed an additional financial burden on families.
They claim fees for day scholars increased from Shs47,000 to Shs70,000, while feeding fees doubled from Shs40,000 to Shs80,000.
Efforts to obtain a response from Headteacher Frederick Brian Osamuk were unsuccessful. He was not found at the school, and he had not responded to phone calls or the allegations by the time of publication.
The latest unrest is not the first at Katerima Secondary School. In 2023, the school experienced another prolonged student strike over similar grievances, resulting in the transfer of several teachers.
Local leaders and education stakeholders say the institution has since struggled with declining academic performance and falling student enrolment.
District authorities have launched investigations into the latest strike and say they hope to identify the underlying causes of the recurring unrest and recommend measures to restore stability and improve the school's management.