The 10-member board of Maseno School has resigned, saying it has been sidelined in decision-making.
Yesterday, members accused the school’s sponsor, the Anglican Church of Kenya, and the Education ministry of excluding them from important decisions.
They cited the issue of former principle Paul Otula.
Last month Otula was interdicted by the Teachers Service Commission following claims he failed to stop the sexual molestation of a form one student by prefects.
No evidence was found to support the allegations. The guardian who claimed his ward was molested disappeared after investigations began.
Otula was replaced by Homa Bay High School principal Andrew Buop.
This led to protests as students demanded their principal back.
Chairman Carey Orege said the church holds meeting with the ministry without involving other stakeholders.
This despite the board holding many meetings with the church over the matter, he said.
“The ministry and the church can go ahead and manage the school because as board members we feel ignored,” he said.
The board addressed the press in Kisumu town.
It said no evidence was found to support the allegations against Otula, adding that he is a victim of witch-hunt by people with selfish interests.
“The school was given a clean bill of health. The director of quality and standards was sent to the school by [Education CS Fred] Matiang’i. He [addressed] parents and students and said nothing was wrong,”
Orege said.
The board said the school’s annual general meeting, scheduled for last Friday, was cancelled without their knowledge or any communication.
It seems that our services as board members are not needed, hence, the resignation, Orege said.
Board member Omollo Ongati said if Otula had been mistreating the students, they would have celebrated not rioted over his interdiction.
He said it is very clear that the students and the teachers do not want Buop.
“We have information he was sneaked back into the school just as the students closed for the first term holiday,” Ongati said.
Parent Teachers Association chairman James Obondi said the students are stigmatised by the sodomy allegatons, yet nobody, not even the ministry, has come out to protect them.
“[Everywhere] they go, they are called ‘sodomised’, amongst other names, which is greatly affecting them,” he said.