As she prepares to officially take over as the new principal of Sacred Heart Mukumu Girls High School, Jane Mmbone has a Herculean task at hand.
A health crisis that led to the closure of the school, situated in Shinyalu Constituency, Kakamega county, refuses to leave as 12 students continue to battle for their lives in various hospitals across the country while others are said to be too traumatized to report back to the institution when schools reopen for second term.
Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu visited the school on Saturday where he announced the replacement of Fridah Ndolo by Ms. Mmbone.
He further said the institution would be ready for reopening in a fortnight but learning is expected to resume fully from next term.
However, a section of parents said their children were still expressing fear while some were asking for transfers.
“There is widespread trauma among parents and the girls because they are not yet sure if their food and water will now be completely free of the poison they consumed,” said Silas Obuhatsa, Chairperson of the National Parents Association (NPA).
“It is now the task of the administration, under the new Principal, to immediately embark on mechanisms that will restore confidence among the learners and their parents. This is a huge task,” he added.
The Ministry of Education and Kakamega County Government announced a raft of measures that were geared towards restoring confidence in one of the leading schools in the county.
“We shall drill a new borehole just to be sure that there is not just sufficient water, but safe for the school community. Our health experts are also cleaning and testing all the water sources repeatedly to be sure that it is 100 per cent safe,” said Machogu.
He added that all the foodstuff in the school stores will be destroyed.
But members of the local community raised concerns on Sunday after sewage from the school was seen leaking into several water streams in the area.
There have also been reports of sabotage within the school which the new Principal is expected to handle promptly.
“This is a serious matter that saw four lives lost and hundreds hospitalized and we should, thus, see heads rolling instead of transferring problems,” said Navakholo MP Emmanuel Wangwe.
He added, “I will personally sue the outgoing Principal and Board if investigations point towards any form of negligence.”
By Denis Lumiti
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