Parents and the community around St. Bakhita Siakago Girls High School in Mbeere North Constituency, Embu County, on Friday stormed the school to evict the chief principal over poor performance in examinations.
However, after failing to get hold of her since she reportedly kept away from the school after getting tipped about the planned eviction, the irate parents shut down the main entrance to her office with a padlock and mounted a notice with the inscription “closed until further notice.”
The parents are said to have been angered by the transfer of the principal early this month into the only Girls National School in the County from a lower-cadre school.
They lamented that the principal does not have the experience and skills required to maintain the high academic standards the school has maintained over the years given her track record from her previous school.
They maintained that their move was motivated by a deep responsibility of protecting their children’s academic future and not out of malice.
School alumnus Rose Muturi said all they want is a school head who possesses the required administrative capacity that matches the school’s national status.
“We do not mind where one will come from, but what we want is one who possesses the right qualifications and experience,” the alumnus asserted.
Her sentiments were echoed by Member of the school board of management Eric Konji, who said the demand for a qualified principal was being done in the best interests of the students to safeguard their future.
He said the matter had been discussed at the school board level and agreed upon that they cannot settle for an underqualified principal to maintain the school’s performance and enviable national status.
Area MP Leonard Wa Muthende said he had written to the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) calling for the removal of the principal a week ago but had not received any response, forcing the parents to take the unprecedented move of evicting the principal.
He said the new principal’s track record from her previous school was poor and there was no way she was going to match up to the performance of Siakago Girls and that is why they are pushing for her removal.
Meanwhile, Kenyan Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) Embu Branch has strongly condemned the move of evicting the principal, terming it as cruel.
Branch Executive Secretary Jacob Karura hit out at MP Wa Muthende for what he termed as overstepping his mandate, saying the removal and transfer of teachers was the work of the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).
The officials threatened to hold a strike next week, demanding the immediate opening of the principal’s office and noninterference of schools’ operations by politicians.
By Samuel Waititu
