Trans Nzoia principals have come out blazing hot to condemn and slam a Teacher Service Commission (TSC) official’s efforts to hijack their democratic right to elect their KESSHA leadership, planned during their retreat in Kisumu.
When the over 240 principals of secondary schools from Trans Nzoia county retreated to Kisumu recently for their AGM, top of the agenda was to fill the post of the branch KESSHA Vice-chair that had fallen vacant following the transfer of the incumbent Grace Ataro from the county late last year.
In accordance to the regulations of regional sharing of the leadership posts and gender balance, the Vice-chairperson post had to be retained by a member from the Kwanza Sub-county where Ataro had headed St Monicah’s Girls’ High School before she was transferred to Ahero Girls’ Secondary School in Kisumu.
Ataro had been replaced with Elizabeth Okindo who had to be the automatic replacement for the KESSHA second in command position but the story was never to be when out of the blues a new name was floated on the floor during the voting day by the Teachers Service Commission TSC director Solomon Leseewe as the presiding officer.
Sources revealed that prior to the AGM, the principal of St Immaculate Girls Saboti from Saboti Sub-county Linet Makete had been moved to Bwayi Mixed Secondary School in Kwanza Sub-county to enable her to contest for the KESSHA Vice-chairperson to portray her as a legitimate candidate from Kwanza region.
All this while, Makete had not received her transfer letter and had not even handed to the outgoing counterpart whose new station had not been established.
“Makete had traveled for the AGM as the head of St Immaculate Girls’ and not as the representative of Bwayi School,” one principal who requested anonymity added.
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“ And even if they did not want Okindo to succeed Ataro, we had many women principals who could be elected as the Vice-chairperson,” another said adding that the TSC Director, Leseewa had introduced his own laws within the teachers’ association to suit interest of outsiders.
Voicing their dissention views, the principals wondered how the presiding officer could insert the transfer issue into the Day II an agenda of election adding that the final ‘’ fixing” of Makete as the new Trans Nzoia branch Vice-chairperson had created a void in the Saboti Sub-branch where she had been the treasurer.
St Immaculate Girls’ School received the new head Agnes Buchichi from Bwayi Mixed who replaced Makete at Immaculate Girls’ who participated in the KESSHA polls as representative from Kwanza Sub-county and not Saboti Sub-county.
However Leseewa denied the allegations of being part of the voting process and referred this matter to the principals themselves, ‘Hii ni mambo yao wenyewe (these are the affairs of the principals),’ he said and hang up his phone without more elaborations.
The dissenting group also accused the presiding officer of ignoring calls from the floor to give the Kwanza Sub-county time to nominate their Rep to the KESSHA board and denying the area woman candidate from Maridadi School who had announced her interest to vie.
“The matter of the transfer should have been handled at the conclusion of the 4-day conference,” the angry principals said adding that the mid-year transfers were disruption of programmes instituted in the affected schools.
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They resolved to appeal to both the TSC and KESSHA national office against what they termed an election process that was allegedly rigged, hijacked and interfered with someone out to control their association.
They alleged that some of the members walked out the voting hall on suspecting there were predetermined results.
However, another section of the principals came to the defense of Leseewe saying Makete had the right to ask for a transfer which she had already applied for and that the move was only being implemented by the TSC director.
The splinter group said the blame lied squarely on the KESSHA officials as organizers of the by-election. The pro-Leseewe team also added that the KESSHA leaders had prior information of the exercise and should not shift the cross on the candidates who are women, all who have the qualifications to contest.
Makete will now deputize Bernard Masinde who is the branch boss until 2028 when the proper KESSHA election cycle will be held countrywide. The other branch positions remained unchanged: Julius Kivaze from Benon Secondary School in Cherangany-Secretary, Joan Azangalala Assistant Secretary, Eric Oluoch Treasurer and Mary Mutiny-Organizing Secretary.
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And even as the heads of the secondary schools were adjusting to the new leadership of KESSHA in the county, several schools were undergoing threats of closure, under-staffing, delayed capitation from the national government and unrest from students.
For example, at the Bikeke Boys’ headed by the KESSHA Chairman Bernard Masinde, the students went on rampage demanding the removal of their principal accusing him of harassment and ignoring to listen to their grievances including lack of essential commodities.
The students who later marched to the Ministry of Education offices in Kitale town, about, 12 kilometers away, complained of lack of water in schools, directing fingers at the principal who was moved to the school at the beginning of this year.
And at Kesse Secondary School, the principal Henry Bunyasi was mauling over closing down the institution after over 200 students failed to report for the opening of the ongoing second term early this month, of which 42 were in Form four.
“This is extremely worrying especially when we are just approaching the KCSE. This is a pointer to the drop-outs of the learners,” Bunyasi said during a function at the school which was also attended by the area MP Ferdinand Wanyonyi.
The MP blamed the absenteeism on the prevalent child labour in his Kwanza constituency and called on parents, leaders and the Ministry of Education to find a solution to inequality.
BY ABISAI AMUGUNE
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