It is a big relief to parents and learners as Vikutsa Primary School in Shinyalu Constituency, Kakamega County reopens after four months closure following a 15 years land dispute between the school and the family.
This comes after the area Member of Parliament, MP Fred Ikana truced the deal, paying the land owner, Mudegu family Ksh 3.6 million bringing to an end long land tussles hence paving the way for the the resumption of learning.
Ikana yesterday while joining parents and education stakeholders at the school said that over 500 pupils who were moved to other schools in the locality had suffered a lot as they were forced to trek for long distances.
“Closure of Vikutsa Primary School affected a lot of children as the schools they were moved to, are very far away from their homes,” the MP said.
The MP said some children were even forced to drop out of school due to long distances after Vikutsa was shut down.
“We have, however, now settled the dispute and paid Ksh3.6 Million to compensate the Mudegu family which paves the way for full resumption of learning,” he added.
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The family’s spokesperson Alenga Mudegu said they had agreed to allow the school reopens after striking the deal with the legislator.
“It does not mean we are against development of our locality through education but have only been demanding for what is duly ours,” Mudegu said.
“Former leaders ignored us which is why the matter grew from bad to worse. But we are now happy that our current MP intervened and has settled the dispute once and for all,” he added amid cheers from the crowd that thronged the school in Isukha East Ward.
Ikana had earlier held a meeting between the local community, government officials and the family that was initially demanding compensation for the land on which the school was built.
The long-running dispute forced the management of the institution to close it down with parents compelled to transfer their children to other schools.
The lawmaker said the dispute had lasted for over fifteen years when the Mudegu family made its demands and blamed his predecessors for not intervening in time.
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Excited parents said they were returning their children to the institution saying the learners had suffered a lot.
“Vikutsa is the only school in this locality and its closure forced us to move our kids to other institutions that are very far away,” said Lilian Khatievi, a parent.
The parents lamented that some of their children were forced out of school to escape dangers of trekking through the Kakamega forest to reach the institutions they had been transferred to.
“Our children have been risking a lot as they had to pass through the forest which is full of wild animals. We are very happy that learning has resumed at Vikutsa,” said another parent.
Ikana stated that he had asked the Ministry of Education to post teachers to the school with immediate effect.
He pointed out that he would use NG-CDF funds to renovate and expand the institution.
By Denis Lumiti
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