The Principal of Rigoma Girls’ Secondary School in Masaba North Sub County, Nyamira County, has been spending nights alongside her students in the dormitories due to concerns for her safety following a disturbing incident at her residence.
Unidentified individuals reportedly smashed the windows of Principal Alice Onywoki’s bedroom. They locked her house from the outside while she was asleep.
The attack has left her living in fear, especially after anonymous leaflets criticising her leadership surfaced around the school.
Local leaders, parents, and teaching staff condemned the incident and urged law enforcement to apprehend and prosecute those responsible swiftly.
Speaking during a prize-giving ceremony on Thursday for students who excelled in last year’s examinations, Onywoki recounted the traumatic experience, stating that those behind the act appeared to be individuals familiar with the school environment.
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“On trying to run away, I found the door locked from outside and had to call upon the students who were sleeping in the nearest dormitory to seek help from the watchmen, who seemed not to know what was happening.”
She appealed to the Department of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to expedite their probe and ensure that justice is served.
Samson Getamo, Chairman of the Kenya Secondary Schools’ Heads Association in Masaba North, pledged that fellow principals would stand in solidarity with Onywoki, stressing that school heads appeared to be under threat.
“The principals would not allow anyone to fight school heads for selfish interests.”
Gabriel Ogamba, the Sub-County Director of Education, also condemned those plotting against the school, dismissing their intentions as uninformed and reaffirmed confidence in the DCI’s capacity to handle the case.
“No one would stop its upward trend,” he said, referring to the school’s progress.
Area Deputy County Commissioner (DCC) Stella Wanyela confirmed that DCI officers had already launched investigations into all events surrounding the attack.
“All plans were done at the school, but investigations would reveal more, including all persons and areas used to transact the criminal business.”
Wanyela cautioned that those with grievances against the principal should follow due process, including petitioning the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) for her reassignment.
“There were proper means of addressing all issues about education,” she said.
She warned that the incident should act as a deterrent to anyone contemplating similar actions in educational institutions within the region.
By Joseph Mambili
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