CS Magoha scolds another education official in public
Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha on Monday censured the Rift Valley Regional Director Of Education John Ololtuaa for failing to supervise and tour schools in Baringo County, in the latest angry reprimand the minister has unleashed on public officials.
Before the scolding, the CS had led a multi-sectoral team in a door-to-door campaign in the region to search for Standard Eight leaver who were yet to report to secondary school.
Prof Magoha toured two homesteads in Kaprogonya and Kapkut in the outskirts of Kabarnet town early in the morning and took four needy pupils in the area who were yet to report to secondary school because of lack of fees.
He enrolled them at Kituro High School in Baringo Central and confirmed that their four-year learning would be funded by the State.
After the visit, the CS went to the office of Baringo county commissioner Henry Wafula where he asked Mr Ololtuaa when he last toured the area.
“When did you last visit this region to assess what is happening in our schools?” asked the CS.
In his response, the Rift Valley education boss said that it had been a while since he made a visit to Baringo, but had made visits to other counties in his area of jurisdiction.
Irked by the response, Prof Magoha lashed out, questioning his failure to tour the county, one of the 14 in the expansive Rift Valley.
“And you are coming here for the first time, let that nonsense stop because I will not take it. If you want to resign and go into politics then do so now. You must make sure that you are available in the field because you are in charge of all counties in the Rift Valley unless you delegated that to someone else,” Prof Magoha said.
The CS defended his questioning of the officer in public, saying such matters — visiting schools and assessing the level of education — must always be in the open.
While on a tour to Salabani Primary school in the flood-prone Baringo South to commission the reconstruction of new classes, Prof Magoha confirmed that he usually makes visits to schools because he does not trust his field officers.
He complained that Rift Valley region was still lagging behind in the 100 percent transition of form ones, with enrolment standing at 84 percent.
“The government has employed people to work. I want those concerned to make sure the 20 percent of learners that are yet to report to school in Baringo to be in their respective institutions by Friday. These are some of the reasons that make me want to get out of office and visit schools because I do trust my field officers,” said Prof Magoha.
Late last year, Prof Magoha came under fire over a similar incident, when he was caught on camera reprimanding Uasin Gishu County Director of Education Gitonga Mbaka.
The CS had dismissed Dr Mbaka from an inspection tour over what he said was untidiness of an institution he had visited.
