Parents boo, eject education officers

By Paul Mutua

KITUI, KENYA: Irate parents at Kathyethoka Primary School in Kitui Central District on Wednesday ejected education officials from the school following standoff over the contentious transfer of head teacher.

Deputy District Education Officer Peter Maundu and the County Teachers Service Commission’s staffing officer, Ms Grace Mwangi, were booed and jeered by the parents who broke into songs and dance as they humiliated and chased away the two government officers.

The two had walked into the meeting called to find a solution to the impasse between the parents and the head teacher, a Mr Singi, before the chaos.

The school has remained closed since Monday after the parents withdrew their children and vowed not to relent until Mr Singi was moved elsewhere and the school’s deputy Charles Mwema’s interdiction lifted.

Speaker after speaker accused the local education office of shielding the head teacher and frustrating their moves to have him ‘disciplined’ for a number of misdeeds they leveled against him.

But the deputy education officer incensed the parents when he said the head teacher would not be taken away through acclamation, shouts or withdrawing of the children from the school.

“Nenda kabisa, toka hapa, nyamaza, hatutaki mambo yako,” the parents drowned Maundu’s voice, forcing him to cut short his speech.

Ms Mwangi and other education officers followed him to his car before speeding off.