A cook at Mukumu Girls High School has sued the institution for wrongful dismissal.
Douglas Muchela was allegedly fired for talking to the media about food poisoning that claimed the lives of three students and a teacher at the school.
He held that his sacking was based on falsehoods, overtones and an attempt by the school to cover a matter that was already in the public domain
He said he was wrongfully accused by the school board of management (BOM) of issuing unverified, misleading and disparaging information to the Nation Newspaper, against the school.
“On May 27, 2023, you issued misleading information against the school to the media which also aimed at tarnishing the reputation of the school,” read part of a show cause letter served to him on June 2, by the school management.
Through Wafula Wawire and Company Advocates, Muchela wants the court to make a declaration that the purported termination of his employment as a cook by the school was unprocedural, arbitrary, punitive and unlawful and order his reinstatement.
He is also seeking an order by the court for an award of damages against the respondent for unlawful termination, subjecting him to unwarranted pain and anguish.
“The actions of the respondent victimized me and have occasioned me mental torture, fatigue and are threatening my ability to be employed elsewhere,” Muchela lamented in his statement.
The cook has named the school principal Sr. Jane Mmbone as the respondent in her capacity as secretary to the school board of management.
According to reports, Muchela, who has only two years to reach his official retirement age, and other nine staff members were sacked by the management from the school after the food poisoning saga.
Meanwhile, in a notice issued by the School Principal on August 9, the Sacred Hearts Mukumu Girls High School announced a total of 40 vacancies across 21 different job positions.
By Thuita Jaswant
Get more stories from our website: Education News
To write to us or offer feedback, you can reach us through: editor@educationnews.co.ke
You can also follow our social media pages on Twitter: Education News KE and Facebook: Education News Newspaper For timely updates.
