- Creditors have haunted our school head, Mr Okonkwo out of his comfortable office
- The principal has adopted a number of strategies to evade the school’s creditors
- Many of the principal’s financial problems are self-inflicted. The man loves inflated projects
“Meta Meta imesota,” Jezebel, our cook commented when Madam Magarita asked her why she was serving teachers ‘thin tea’. It had such little milk that one could see all the way to the bottom of the kettle. The failure by the Ministry of Education to release free secondary school funds had literally left the school in the red.
Creditors have haunted our school head, Mr Okonkwo out of his comfortable office. For much of second term, he has been dodging them. According to Schola, he was forced to take an emergency loan from Mwalimu National Sacco to ensure vital supplies like bread for students were not discontinued during the volatile second term. The school debt is said to be over 10 million shillings.
Many of Okonkwo’s financial problems are self-inflicted. The man loves projects. The school is constructing a modern kitchen at an inflated cost of Sh5 million. Schola, our rumour monger in chief, claims that for every lorry load of building materials delivered at Meta Meta, two end up at Nairobi’s Kasarani Mwiki where he is constructing a shopping mall!
The swimming pool project, which begun a decade ago shows no signs of completion in the near future.
During a parents meeting, an agitated parent wondered why the project had taken so long: “kwani unatengeneza Suez canal?” he asked angrily. Okonkwo, cunningly plants friendly parents at strategic positions in the hall during such meetings. He treats them to nyama choma and drinks before the parents’ meeting. During the meeting they ensure that other parents support the principal’s projects.
As soon as the meeting is over, they pass by the bursar’s office where each is rewarded with an 'envelope'.
The principal has adopted a number of strategies to evade the school’s creditors. They include instructing Sue, the school secretary to inform them that he has left for the TSC, while holed up in his office.
He has also developed a sudden interest in the school farm and spends time there inspecting the cows and pigs.
He has, however, met his match in some creditors. A fire wood supplier who had had enough declared that she was prepared to camp at the principal’s office until he returned from the TSC.
Having come prepared for a long vigil; she removed a tea flask, a cup and boiled sweet potatoes from her handbag. “Wacha ningojee mwalimu,” she said as she dug her teeth into the sweet potatoes.
Sue, the secretary was left in shock when having finished her tea, the lady removed a maasai shuka from her bag, kicked off her shoes and covering her head went to sleep on the reception couch. “Niamshe mwalimu akifika,” she said. All this time Okonkwo was in his office!
Schola, our rumour mill caretaker got wind of the incident and fired a text to some teachers: "The prophet has been cornered by Amope!’ Amope is the wife to Chume in Wole Soyinka’s play, The Trials of Brother Jero.
A cough from the principal’s office betrayed his presence. “Na si huyo ni mtu ama hapo ndani kuna majini?” she asked Sue and knocked on the principal’s door.
An embarrassed Okonkwo was forced to open the door. The dramatic end of the road has seen Okonkwo turned into a butt of jokes in our WhatsApp group.
socratesmwalimu@gmail.
