All 17 teachers of St Gabriel Isongo Secondary School in Mumias East have been transferred to various institutions within Bungoma and Kakamega counties, after parents stormed the school and ejected the principal and another teacher.
The transferred teachers are all employees of the Teachers Service Commission (TSC). Only eight teachers who are hired by the Board of Management (BoM), have remained to take charge of the school.
Their transfers come a few days after the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) officials in Kakamega asked the teachers to keep off work citing insecurity.
Among the teachers who have been transferred is the school's principal David Wafula who has been posted to St Beda’s Bukaya Secondary School in Mumias West, his deputy Alfred Kutindi who has moved to Shibinga West Secondary School, Director of Studies George Masibo whose new station will be Ndivisi Girls in Bungoma.
Ms Teresa Atacho has been moved to Eluche secondary school, Michael Isiaho has been taken to Khaunga secondary, Maurine Okalo (Makunga Secondary), Kennedy Chiluti (Musango Secondary), Moses Wambani (Mwitoti Secondary), David Lutomia (Ebubere Secondary). All the schools are within Mumias East.
Kuppet Kakamega branch chairman Johnstone Wabuti said the union will not allow teachers to work at the school until they are assured of their security.
Mr Wabuti has questioned why it is taking so long to arrest the parents who stormed the school and molested the teachers, yet they were captured on camera.
“The Ministry of Education and that of Interior must tell us why they are dragging their feet in apprehending the suspects,” Mr Wabuti said.
The angry parents who teamed up with bodaboda riders invaded the school on January 12, 2024, and forcefully ejected the school's principal and the Director of Studies, accusing the duo of mismanagement leading to dismal performance.
Mr Wafula and Mr Masibo were manhandled by the unruly parents, who chased away the teachers while chanting and waving twigs.
The parents claimed that under Mr Wafula's watch, the school's mean score had dropped from 5.2 to 2.89.
The school registered 179 candidates but only managed to produce two university entry grades, as the majority scored D- and four E’s.
“Going forward, the Ministry of Education will treat any invasion to schools to frog-march teachers out of their workstations as acts of crime that will prompt firm and decisive action from law enforcers,” Mr Machogu said.
Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association (Kessha) Kakamega branch chairman Michael Amukowa said head teachers in 11 schools within the county, have been threatened by the community members after their schools performed dismally in national exams.[email protected]
