Row over stalled Sh3.8 million bore hole

A row is brewing between parents and the principal of Kiine Girls Secondary School in Kirinyaga West over a Sh3.8 million borehole.

Parents had raised the money to sink the borehole to address shortage of water that has affected the school.

However, the parents, led by Board of Management (BoM) chairman Peter Munene, claim the project stalled after the principal, Esther Maina, took over last year.

Mr Munene accused Ms Maina of replacing the contractor without involving parents or the BoM.

"The new contractor drilled the borehole but left without installing the necessary equipment, including pipes and a pump, even after he had been paid in full. As a result, the project has not been of any help to our students," said Munene.

He said students continued to use untreated water from a nearby seasonal spring.

Address shortage

The principal is also accused of sacking two teachers the BoM had hired to address shortage, without consulting the board or the Parent Teachers Association. The teachers have since sued the principal over unfair dismissal.

Maina, who moved to the school under the delocalisation programme by the Ministry of Education, denied the claims against her.

"The accusations are not new to me. These stories have kept doing the rounds between the school and Jogoo House," she said yesterday.

The County Director of Education Margaret Mwirigi confirmed that the matter had been reported to her by the BoM and parents.

"The school is facing many challenges, but we are trying our best to resolve them, to ensure learning goes on uninterrupted," said Ms Mwirigi.

The official also confirmed that parents had sent numerous correspondences to her office and the Ministry of Education headquarters in Nairobi seeking solutions to challenges faced by the Anglican Church of Kenya-sponsored school, including shortage of water.