KNUT protests alleged oppression by Education Director

KNUT Makueni has demanded the immediate transfer of County Director of Education Lydia Mutegi over allegations of intimidation, poor consultation and mismanagement of funds.
The union has accused the director of forcing school heads to contribute money through a WhatsApp group and has called for a full account of funds collected from learners.
KNUT has petitioned the County Commissioner’s office and the Ministry of Education to investigate the allegations and take corrective action.

The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT), Makueni Branch, led by National Chief Whip and Branch Executive Secretary Benson Ndambuki, has called for the immediate transfer of County Director of Education Lydia Mutegi over accumulated grievances in the county’s education sector.

Among the allegations raised are lack of consultation, strained relations with established education structures, alteration of education boundaries, learner placement concerns, intimidation of institutional heads, and questions surrounding the management and accountability of funds collected through education programmes and activities.

The union claimed the director had repeatedly referred to KNUT officials as “strangers” in the County Education Board without apology. “She has called us strangers in the County Education Board several times without apology. We find this unacceptable because the education board is a statutory structure in the administration of basic education, and the county director serves as its secretary under the Basic Education Act. We demand mutual respect, cooperation and proper consultation between the director and the board,” Ndambuki said.

KNUT further alleged that heads of institutions had been compelled to contribute money through a WhatsApp group formed by the director for personal-related matters, and called for an investigation into the claims as well as a clear separation between official education functions and personal financial affairs. “No school head should feel compelled to contribute money because of his other position to get government services which should be free. We have evidence from a WhatsApp group where heads have been forced to contribute money, which is against ethics,” Ndambuki said.

The union also raised concerns over the reported collection of Sh30 from each of approximately 100,000 secondary school learners in the county, an amount that could total roughly Sh3 million if all learners contributed. “We want to know how this money is being used. We demand a complete account of the funds collected, the account in which they are held, withdrawals made, and the activities funded from these collections,” Ndambuki said.

KNUT demanded meaningful consultation between the director, the education board and the union, which it described as a senior stakeholder among all legitimate education stakeholders, before major decisions affecting education are made. The union also called for the protection of teachers, deputy principals and principals who raise genuine concerns regarding administration, finances or the welfare of students and institutions, insisting that no officer should be intimidated for demanding accountability.

“One of our KEPSHA officials from Kibwezi Sub-County was reprimanded and taken to the DCIO when he questioned the rationale behind the boundary division between Kibwezi and Kambu, which is very wrong. We ultimately demand that Mutegi is transferred immediately,” Ndambuki said.

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The union called on the Ministry of Education to swiftly investigate the allegations, establish facts and ensure accountability where any wrongdoing is established, protect those who raise genuine complaints, and take the administrative action necessary to restore confidence, cooperation and effective delivery of education services in Makueni.

“Our message is one: we want an education system that listens, we want decisions made through consultation, we want every shilling accounted for, we want dignity and protection for our teachers and school heads. We want fairness and opportunity for every learner, transparency and accountability in the management of education services,” Ndambuki said.

The union took its grievances to the County Commissioner’s office, where Assistant County Commissioner Peter Kimani received the letter and briefly addressed the group. “I am just a helper to my boss, and he is away, but we are aware of your problem. The letter has been presented to me; when the commissioner comes, I will hand it over and brief him. Give him time, he will reach out and give the direction and the way forward,” Kimani said.