Angry parents of Gikingi Primary School in Nyandarua on Tuesday stormed the institution protest "indiscriminate cutting down of trees" by the administration.
At least 200 trees had been felled much to the chagrin of parents who had okayed the cutting down of only five trees to put up a digital learning centre for the government's laptop programme.
“We have been paying Sh840 to pay teachers hired by the Parents Teachers Association and it was agreed during our last meeting that no more levies will be passed on to parents. The administration was allowed to cut down five trees to put up shelves for the laptops,” Elsina Mboni said.
Daniel Kamau accused the headteacher James Gikunju of taking arbitrary decisions which were unpopular with parents.
But Gikunju said they decided to harvest more trees to make more desks. He said it was a decision of the board of management. He said some timber was sold to meet the school's financial needs.
Gikingi assistant chief Miriam Ngotho quelled the protest. She said the school neither consulted nor got a permit to cut down the trees. “No person or institution is allowed to cut down trees without a permit from the area chief. I have assessed the matter and found that even immature trees were harvested without any plans to replace them,” Ngotho said.
edited by peter obuya
