A
school in Kakamega was recently closed indefinitely after students went on the
rampage demanding the removal of their principal.
Friends
School Lwandeti Secondary in Kakamega North subcounty was closed after parents
and students took to the streets to demand the immediate removal of their
principal Moses Wadongo over what they termed as total mismanagement of their
institution.
Traffic
along the Kakamega-Webuye Road was put to a halt for hours as the more than 400
students and their parents demonstrated towards the Kakamega North subcounty
education offices to demand that their deputy Nancy Webo, who had been promoted
to head Tumbeni Secondary School within the subcounty, takes over from Wadongo.
They
claimed that Wadongo had failed to improve on the academic performance of the
school. The mean score has stagnated at 2.00 since he was posted there 10 years
ago and out of 101 students who sat for their KCSE exams last year, the best
candidate scored a mean grade of C+.
He
is further accused of failing to register 15 candidates in this year’s KCSE
exam despite their parents having paid examination fees totaling to Sh94,000 of
which they claim that the principal has pocketed.
It
is alleged that the principal collects fees from students without issuing
official receipts for the same and that the school was losing.
The
principal further came under scrutiny after parents and suppliers who delivered
goods to the school accused him of not remitting them as school property but
were instead using them personally.
A
case in point was a supplier who supplied to the school 112 bags of maize but
only 20 bags were used by the institution and the rest were sold to the locals
and the amount realised of Sh331,200 was allegedly not banked on the school
account. This led to a serious food shortage in the institution triggering the
strike by the students at the school leading to the principal evading to attend
school during first term.
In
a memorandum read to the education officials by a parent, Ronald Chesoni, it
alleges that he principal’s social life has led to the strenuous working
relation both on teaching and subordinate staff at the institution as a result
foodstuffs and school assets disappearing mysteriously through collusion.
At
times, it was said that the matron was mandated to act as the chief executive
officer of the school where her word was final.
The
memo also claims that the principal has turned the school bus into a money
minting machine for personal gains where there are no records for cash received
for hire of the bus.
Wadongo
is also accused of failing to submit an audited financial report of the school
for the past four years.
It
is at this juncture that the education office and the teachers’ representation
led by area sub-county education officer Anne Shiundu, staffing officer William
Chepkwony, quality assurance and human resource officers, Kenya Secondary
School Association chairman Kenneth Indusia and his vice chair Enock Andanje,
Knut secretary Shadrack Tovoko ordered the deputy Nancy Webo to officially
close the school until the issue is resolved officially.
Efforts
by the principal to enter the school through the assistance of Kabras Police
Station OCS David Kimutai and heavily armed officers were thwarted as students
and parents obstructed their entry ordering that the embattled head should not
set foot in the institution as he was no longer needed.
The
board of management chairman Kaskoni Mwindoti dismissed the allegations
levelled against the principal and instead blamed the outgoing deputy for
incitement noting that she wanted to take over the school from Wadongo when he
retires this year in December but was shocked when she was instead promoted to
head Tumbeni.
“Why
is it happening a week after her transfer? Anybody can read a mischief in that.
The school has not had any cases of indiscipline until her posting six months
ago,” said a parent.
The
deputy principal in question is not new to controversies. She refused to hand
over Lugusi Secondary School when the new principal Charles Kokonya was posted
there leading to a near strike by the students forcing Kokonya to take over
while the students were at home.
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