Kapenguria Boys High School in West Pokot County has been closed indefinitely after students staged protests against the transfer of the school Principal Mr. James Omayo who has been transferred to Makunga boys in Trans-Nzoia County.
Students woke up in the morning and marched to the office of County Director of education but were repulsed by police officers.
The students never attended any classes and this forced the County Director of education in the County Mr. Jarred Obiero to close the school to avoid a rampage.
Parents stormed the school after they learnt of the indefinite closure and asked the Ministry of Education to revoke the transfer.
The parents tasked Board of Management and Parents and Teachers Association to seek court injunction so that the principal is retained.
BOM and PTA leaders were forced to calm the parents who camped in the school compound outside the administration block.
“We received an SMS yesterday night asking us to attend a parents meeting today at 9.00am only to find the school closed. The principal has been transferred four times in a year and yet he has posted good results in last year’s exams,” said Emmanuel Kaptingei, a parent.
The parents meeting was cancelled to give room for consultations over the transfer issue.
The parents called on Education Cabinet Secretary Dr. Fred Matiang’i to reconsider his stand.
County Director of Education Mr. Jared Obiero said he has been summoned to a meeting by the Cabinet Secretary.
Mr. Obiero said indiscipline among students prompted for the closure of the school. “They hurled stones at the OCS in the morning while they were demonstrating and this forced police officers to throw tear gas canisters at them,” he said.
West Pokot Officer Commanding Police Division Anthony Wanjuu said that the OCS sustained minor injuries and was treated at Kapenguria County Hospital and discharged.
The parents defended Mr. Omayo, citing that he is not a local who can be transferred, adding that Kapenguria Boys was the best school in the County and emerged position 12 nationally in 2017 KSCE exam and number two among the Extra County schools.
They claim that they are dissatisfied with the manner in which the transfer was done and want it rescinded terming the transfer as malicious, and aimed at lowering the education standards of the County.
They threatened to withdraw their children from the school, saying the transfer will deteriorate education standards in the school. The parents faulted the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) for not consulting them before transferring Mr. Omayo and appointing the new Principal from Kabarnet Boys High school Mr. Julius Bahati Mwambili.
