By Our reporter
Parents and the community at Khasoko Boys’ high school in Bumula Constituency, Bungoma County are now demanding the removal of the school principal after a student died last week under unclear circumstances. Health officials from the County Government of Bungoma who visited the school say that there was an outbreak of malaria in the institution attributing it to a lack of malaria nets, stagnant water at the school and the bushy state of the grass within the compound.
On Friday, community members and parents hold peaceful demonstrations demanding the transfer of the school Principal. Speaking to The Weekly Vision at the school gate on Friday, Mr Peter Malala, blamed the school administration for the death of a student adding that the school head never involves stakeholders in running the school.
“This Khasoko boys high school principal was brought to this school, he has never involved the community in the affairs of the school, in fact some don’t know him,” he added. Malala called on the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to transfer the principal, adding that the community won’t allow him to enter the school. “Last term a student died under unclear circumstances, on 19th May the same school has lost another student again under unclear circumstances, this is now a joke if the County director of education and TSC director won’t intervene as parents and the community we are going to sort it out,” he said.
The community also accused the school head of not awarding tenders to them. “The people who supply foodstuffs in this school are outsiders. Since he came here we have never been given a tender to supply even sand,” he added. He alleges that the school principal went ahead and sourced BOM teachers from his county. “Our sons and daughters from around this community have tried applying for BOM positions in this school but they have never been considered, he only gives jobs to his friends and relatives,” he said.
The parents, however, said that the school enrolment is a bit high asking the Bumula NG-CDF to move with speed and build new blocks of classrooms and dormitories. “We have been informed by students that some of them sleep on the floor and this might have caused the malaria outbreak,” he said.
At the time of the demonstrations, Bungoma County TSC director Wilson Koros, Bumula Sub-County director of education, and Khasoko Boy’s board chairman among other stakeholders were in a closed-door meeting. On his part, Pius Ng’oma, Bungoma County director of Education revealed that the main purpose of their tour of the school was to check on the preparedness for its reopening, noting that a lot has been done in the school after its indefinite closure.
The director noted that the Ministry of Education is aware of what happened at the school calling on the board of management to ensure that all sanitation issues are addressed before reopening. He added that the school was closed because of the death of a student. He said that the school will remain closed until the probe is completed.
