Drama ensued after parents and students from Mabwaita Primary School stormed the neighbouring Sosit Primary School in Bureti, Kericho county, protesting over what they termed as the premature transfer of their headteacher.
In a bizarre turn of events, learning at Sosit primary was paralyzed after parents and students from Mabwaita primary held demonstrations demanding the immediate re-transfer of their headteacher.
The learners and parents, who were joined by the Board of Management in the protests, took matters into their own hands and walked five kilometers to Sosit where the drama ensued.
The Board claims they decided to grab the bull by its horns after a written letter a week ago sent to the Ministry of Education pleading against his transfer fell on deaf ears.
The stakeholders at Mabwaita lamented the hasty departure of their headteacher, who was transferred just under a year after his posting, despite bringing positive changes and development to Mabwaita.
“Our headteacher was here for barely a year, just six months at this school. We want to say we are very disappointed. Before our headteacher came, Mabwaita Primary School was in a state of ICU,” one of the parents stated.
The school head was credited with increasing the number of pupils in the school from 50 to 300, as well as eliminating vices among pupils since his arrival.
For over three hours, the irate parents, BOM members, and learners were adamant, disrupting learning and demanding the headteacher be transferred back to their school.
It took the intervention of local police to calm the situation, though this was not well received by the protesting group.
“Instead of them (Education Ministry officials) coming here to address us today, they have decided to send us security personnel. We were coming for an education ministry issue, but we are receiving people from the Interior Ministry, which is very, very sad for us,” a parent asserted.
However, the police maintained that they were only present to restore order, adding that the parents should have gone to the local education ministry’s office instead.
“I want to tell the parents that the transfer of teachers is a government matter and quite common. They should refrain from holding demonstrations and seek the proper channel, which is the Education Ministry,” a police representative noted.
In the end, normal proceedings were restored after a meeting between the parents and local police. Even so, the parents maintained their hope that the ministry would reconsider its decision and bring back their headteacher.
