Parents Storm School to Eject Principal over Missing Funds
On Tuesday, parents at Shimo la Tewa High School in Mombasa County staged demonstrations, demanding the transfer of the principal due to financial mismanagement and poor academic performance.
Speaking to the press, the parents claimed that the institution was performing poorly, with a large number of students scoring D.
The parents expressed disappointment that despite contributing Ksh5 million for the purchase of a school bus, they had not yet received it.
As a result, they demanded the school principal show proof that their funds had not been diverted towards other purposes.
Rajab Msafwari, a parent, expressed that unfortunately, the children were performing poorly, with most scoring D, adding that they, as custodians of Shimo la Tewa, were coming for the principal.
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Another parent raised concerns over the school increasingly sending students home for fees, despite the recent increase in annual school fees by Ksh10,000.
The parents mentioned that, apart from the Ksh56,000 fee they paid, the principal had added Ksh10,000 more.
Principal’s Remarks
The principal, Mathew Mutiso, however, denied the claims, noting that the school’s performance was solid despite a continually increasing student population.
Mutiso clarified that he wanted to deny that the school’s performance had declined, explaining that the school’s population was growing.
He stated that in 2022, they had 331 candidates, and in 2023, they had 392 candidates, adding that their goal this year was to have more than 300 students with C+.
He further maintained that the school’s board had agreed to use the Ksh5 million contributed to pay for other services, including staff payments during the COVID-19 pandemic period.
Mutiso assured the parents that plans were in high gear to repay the funds and then purchase the bus.
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He faulted the parents’ demonstrations, arguing that they should have reported their grievances to the Ministry of Education, which employs him.
Since the school had not raised the grievances, he believed it was a witch hunt and suggested following the proper channels, such as the Ministry of Education.
The parents requested that the government transfer the principal within seven days, issuing a seven-day ultimatum to the government to do so.
Parents Storm School to Eject Principal over Missing Funds
