A major row is brewing in various schools in different parts of Western Province and the North Rift over the transfer of school principals.

The affected areas are Elgeyo Marakwet, Kakamega and Trans Nzoia Counties.

In Elgeyo Marakwet conflict between the institution board of governors, members and the District Education Board in have threatened to bar the incoming principal, Everline Chemjor formerly from Anin district mixed secondary school in the area from taking over controls of the school terming the posting as insulting.

The board members led by their chairman Chemweno said there is no way they will allow Chemjor to take over the outgoing principal Rose Cheptangat who has been transferred to Moi Vokoli Girls High School in Vihiga County.

Now they want Ministry of Education to post a qualified person from the provincial or national school to come and take over the headship of Singore girls if the school expected to maintain its academic excellence in national exam.

The area District Commissioner Abbas Mohammed however, dismissed the BOG saying they have not right to bar the incoming principal from taking over the running and management of school.

In Trans Nzoia, the same is being witnessed at  Kabuyefwe Girls’ School following a move by the Friends Church and the Board of Governor’s (B.O.G) to reject a new principal posted to the school.

The Friends Church who are the sponsors of the school, and the Board of Governors are opposed to a move by the Teacher’s Service Commission (TSC) to bring in a new head at the school after transferring Mrs. Janet Mbwaya.

 Elgon East Friends Church General Secretary Mr. Francis Makete told West FM he wonders why the commission decided to transfer Mrs Mbwaya at this time of the year when she is overseeing a number of academic and development projects at the school.

“The Principal is currently overseeing a government funded project on infrastructure and we feel she should be left to complete it,” Mr. Makete noted

The church has also questioned the competence of the in-coming principal saying she once headed another school sponsored by the church school and her performance was poor.

“The church is not going to allow the new officer to assume her duties as we doubt her performance, “said Mr. Makete.

The School is set to break ranks with its parent school, Kabuyefwe Boys Secondary of which they are sharing assets.

The church believes that the incumbent principal should be left to oversee the school as it gears up to become independent.

Subsequently, learning activity was paralyzed few days ago when students and villagers ganged up in protest against a newly appointed principal from taking over at Chekalini secondary school in Lugari district.

Trouble is said to have started when Mr. Barnabas Chikwanyi arrived at the school as the new head teacher.

According to the Deputy Principal Mrs. Joyce Muyanda, students stormed out of their classrooms and started protesting while singing and waving placards, immediately after news of Chikwanyi’s arrival reached them.

Muyanda said she was forced to lock up Chikwanyi inside a room in the school’s administration block before calling for security from the police department.

Administration and Kenya police officers from Lumakanda station arrived at the school immediately and dispersed the students who had camped outside the administration block baying for Chitwanyi’s blood.

It took combined efforts from the provincial administration led by Lugari acting District Commissioner Mr. Richard Ajwang, deputy OCPD Mr. Gregory Mutiso and officers from the department of education before the situation at the school was restored back to normal.

Mr. Ajwang appealed to the students and the community around to remain calm as the ministry of education addresses the issue for a lasting solution.

A dejected Chikwanyi was later on escorted out of the school in the company of the acting DC and education officers under tight security.

The immediate former principal to the school Mr. Paul Weloba was said to be away in Nairobi on personal duties.

Speaking to West FM separately Mutiso said that his department has launched investigation to establish those behind Chikwanyi’s predicament.