Plans to Privatise Kipkeino Primary School Spark Controversy.
The Kipkeino Primary School, located in Turbo sub-county, Uasin Gishu, is at the center of a heated dispute over its proposed conversion from a public to a private institution.
This school, linked to the family of legendary athlete Kipchoge Keino, is among the most esteemed institutions in the region, boasting state-of-the-art facilities and has been operating under the Ministry of Education as a public school.
A month ago, an application was submitted to the Ministry of Education to privatize the school. In response, the ministry issued a public notice seeking feedback on the proposal.
The local community, especially parents, is strongly opposed to the plan, terming it as a form of “grabbing” of a school they have financially supported for years, with fees ranging from Sh100,000 to Sh160,000.
The parents and local residents argue that their contributions have been instrumental in developing the school’s infrastructure and that it should remain public.
The ministry has given the public 14 days from the date of the notice to submit their views or concerns, either in writing or through email.
Despite this, the announcement has been met with outrage from parents, who refuse to accept the school’s privatization.
Some parents have accused the Keino family of running the school as a personal entity while it continues to receive government support in the form of textbooks and Free Primary Education (FPE) funding.
School Registration and Parent Involvement
According to records from the Ministry of Education, Kipkeino Primary School was officially registered as a public institution on January 3, 2001, under registration number G/PE/0011/2001.
Parents argue that they have paid fees for a public school, believing their financial input was for the school’s development. They feel it is unfair for the school to be privatized without considering their significant investments.
Parents claim they have made several attempts to engage both national and county education officials, but have received no response.
This lack of communication, they argue, indicates a deliberate effort to facilitate the privatization process.
Some parents have pointed out that the land on which the school is built was donated by former President Daniel Moi in the 1980s, who provided 200 acres for the school.
However, this claim is disputed by the Keino family, who assert that the land is privately owned.
They state that the school is on 30 acres of land purchased by the family in 1987, with the title deed under Phyllis Keino, registered as Kiplombe/Kiplombe Block 5 (Kaptich)/66, now managed by the Lewa Children’s Home Trust.
The family maintains that the school was never public, though it has benefited from public resources such as teachers from the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) and government textbooks.
According to the family, the school was initially established with approval from the Uasin Gishu district education office as part of the Kipkeino Children’s Home charity, which later evolved into the Children’s Home.
School Development and Future Plans
Andrew Kiptoo, a member of the Keino family and a board member of the school, explained that the school was built with pooled resources from family and friends to provide quality education for both vulnerable children and the larger community.
He added that after the school’s registration, the government posted TSC teachers to both public and charitable schools.
This allowed the school to benefit from TSC teachers while receiving additional funding from Lewa Children’s Home Trust and the Keino family for its development.
However, Kiptoo noted that the family decided to pursue privatization to enable them to fully manage the school independently without relying on TSC teachers.
They intend to hire their own teachers and manage the institution’s affairs under their control.
Community Resistance and Ongoing Legal Process
Residents, led by Noah Arap Singoei, have strongly opposed the school’s privatization. Singoei emphasized that the move is an attempt to seize the school, a situation they will not tolerate.
On the other hand, Uasin Gishu county education director John Thiringi confirmed that the process of privatizing the school has been in motion since 2014, stating that the law permits such privatization.
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The conflict between the school’s management and the community continues, as both sides stand firm in their positions regarding the institution’s future.
Plans to Privatise Kipkeino Primary School Spark Controversy.
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