Students of St Mary’s High School on Sunday night went on the rampage, protesting against the posting of a new principal.
Principal Nicodemus Ogeto reported at the school in the massive transfers ordered by Education CS Fred Matiang’i.The students smashed windows and vowed not to allow Ogeto in the school. By the time the Star visited, education officials led by director Jacob Onyiengo were in a crisis meeting. Onyiengo said, “We are still in the meeting and we are sure all be well. It is not a big issue.” Ogeto said normalcy returned and termed the protest a “small misunderstanding”, which was later ironed out. “There is no cause for alarm. The students are back in class and we are already teching,” he said.
resistance
There has been resistance in many schools affected by the order on principal transfers. At Friends’ School Kamusinga, MCAs stormed the school and ejected the principal. They were arrested and charged in a Bugoma court. Matiang’i has said his decision stands. Meanwhile, Bungoma Governor Wycliffe Wangamati has said his opposition to newly posted secondary school principals is not tribal. He said his resistance to the new head teachers is based on merit.
Wangamati said the Teachers’ Service Commission is free to post any teacher in the county as long as the record matches with that of the one leaving a particular school. “They can even bring a Ugandan here, I have no problem. But you can’t post a teacher who has been commanding a smaller population in his former station and also have a lower mean grade with whoever they are taking over from,” the governor said.
Wangamati cited Kamusinga, whose principal Alex Maina had a mean grade of 5.9 and had come to head a school which had maintained a mean score of nine and above.
end poverty
Speaking at Naitiri Secondary School during the school’s golden Jubilee celebrations, the governor said local politicians demand that principals being posted in their schools are capable of handling the institutions.
He said education is the only means to eradicate poverty and, therefore, the resistance on principals’ transfers should not be taken lightly.
Wangamati assured residents he will ensure all county children access education. “This year alone I have given full scholarships to 258 needy students admitted in national schools,” he said.