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Citizen Weekly

Sunday 29 March 2015

KAIMENYI UNDER PRESSURE TO SACK MARY GATURU OVER ILLEGAL LEVIES

High school principals from Murang’a county have stood their ground and vowed not to overburden parents through collection of illegal levies imposed by the Murang’a county education board.
The principals are now demanding that Education cabinet secretary Jacob Kaimenyi constitutes a team to investigate activities of the Murang’a county education board. They are also demanding that disciplinary action be taken against Mary Gaturu who is the Murang’a county director of education. She is the secretary of the board.
The bone of contention is a demand by Gaturu that all school heads to remit Sh100 per student for the county education board fund. This demand is contained in a letter dated November 11 2014  signed by Gaturu, addressed to all secondary school principals and copied to subcounty directors of education and district KSSHA chairman.
The school principals are totally opposed to the levies saying already they are funding almost the same activities and functions in the budget.
Investigations further reveal that the principals and other board members are now demanding that the money should be accounted for as there has been no transparency and accountability of the fund.
Speaking to Weekly Citizen on strict condition of anonymity for fear of victimisation, the principals said they are under intimidation not to query anything. It is said the principals who attempt to challenge the legality of such levies are threatened with serious audit queries to silence them. There have been cases of principals who have been fixed and subjected to audit threats by the ministry auditors.
The principals are also now demanding that all ministry auditors in Murang’a county be transferred to other stations allegedly because they have now perfected in extortion and intimidation. The most notorious auditor is Chege and Kariuki who is the County Quality Assurance officer.
Kaimenyi has been briefed on the illegalities and is likely to crack the whip before parents and principals f evict Gaturu from her office.

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