By Fredrick Odiero
The Ministry of Education has launched an investigation over alleged corruption and mismanagement at Kanyamedha Mixed Secondary School in Kisumu County.
The County Director of Education (CDE) Isaac Atebe said he had dispatched a team of investigators to the school to probe allegations of graft, infighting.
He said the officers will require more time to investigate the issues which he said borders on alleged financial management of school funds.
“We have received numerous allegations and given the veracity of the allegations the team will have to dig through the records before they can compile their report,” Atebe said.
The county education boss said he expects to receive the findings in a week’s time for action by various government agencies.
The probe follows complaints from parents who are demanding transfer of the principal. Contacted for comment, the principal dismissed the allegations saying a board member was behind the claims.
The parents raised concern over the alleged existence of two different fee structures-one of Sh10, 000 and Sh12, 000, questioning where such was approved.
They claimed that they have been given the one of Sh12, 000 while the Sh10, 000 is the one presented to the Ministry of education.
Opiyo also faces claims of presenting a fake statement of financial position as at 31/12/2019 to the CDE office.
However, it is signed by Opiyo and late bursar Thomas Okuku.
Strangely, Okuku died in July 2020 and was buried in Nyatike raising concern as to how he could have signed the document dated January 26, 2021.
But Opiyo said she signed the document since the decased died before presenting the same
The parents said they are forced to buy uniforms in school with a single pair costing Sh5, 200 which is against the government policy. They are however not being issued with receipts.
Other claims include non-remittance of statutory deduction (NSSF and NHIF) of the subordinate staff, intimidation and frustration of teachers and teachers forced to type their exams in cyber because the school lacks a secretary.
More than five teachers have been forced to seek transfers due to frustration and intimidation according to parents.
The stakeholders also complained over the continued payment of the school bus yet in 2017 during the Annual General Meeting (AGM), Opiyo declared the bus was a complete project.
In the financial statement the school is still servicing the bus loan without an outstanding balance of Sh350, 000 as at January 1, 2019.
They also questioned why two classrooms which were funded through Local Authority Transfer Fund in 2011 have been turned into laboratories yet the government sent Sh 3.7 million for the construction of a twin laboratory.
Since 2017, the parents said there has never been an AGM and tender committee as required.
The minutes of the tender committee, parents claimed, have since been forged with a few BOM teachers signing as tender committee members which should not be the case.
Kanyamedha school with over 700 students has no bursar, secretary and account clerk as required by the government, making her single handedly ruin the school.
Despite the medical budget, the parents said the students are forced to go back home to seek medication when they are sick. “There is no single medicine in school even painkillers,” the parents said.
The parents also want a probe of two dilapidated classrooms allegedly constructed at Sh1.2 million in 2019.
They lack power connectivity and floors are in deplorable condition which is unfit for learning.
They also want investigation over fake suppliers who are paid hefty amounts to goods not supplied to the school.
County director teachers service commission Mr Ibrahim Rugut also acknowledged that a probe has been launched into the institution.
Maseno South diocese the sponsor of the school has also been sucked into the row.
Diocese head Rev Charles Onginjo said board chairman Joshua Orao’s membership in the committee was revoked after it was discovered that he was also supplying food items to the school which amounted to a conflict of interest.
‘You cannot be the board chairman and at the same time supply items to the school and also demand favours there’he said.
Onginjo said it is wrong for the chairman to demand in form of stipulated allowances according to the education Act.
He said the vice chairman can chair meetings in absence of the chairman.
