By Shem Kosse

FOR more than two decades now, the Catholic fraternity in Kisumu Archdiocese has been led by a clergy whom many had regarded as a true reformer when he was enthroned as the Bishop and now Arch Bishop of the Arch diocese of Kisumu.

But somewhere along the way, those Principals and Head Teachers who have been managing the Secondary Schools which are sponsored by the Catholic Church under the said Archdiocese have not been a happy lot as they claim that there has been constant interference by Arch Bishop Zachaeus Okoth of the said Arch Diocese ranging from threats of transfers if not sacking when interdiction can not do.

Some of the head teachers and the Principals who are in these catholic sponsored but government institutions who seems to be not towing to the Arch Bishop’s line are either transferred under unclear circumstances or get demotion to some lesser schools within or outside the region.

A Principal in one of the schools within the region who spoke to the legion of journalists on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal claimed that he was transferred to another school simply because he was not a ‘catholic adherent’ and could not head a high school which the church sponsors at what ever cost.

He claims the Arch Bishop literally told him to his face that he would not allow him to head such a school unless “he is one of them”.

A similar scenario was also witnessed in the year 2005, when the then Kisumu Boys High School Principal John Awiti was abruptly transferred to ST. Mary’s Yala high School under the alleged influence of the archbishop Okoth simply because Awiti is a staunch Catholic and no one could head the institution unless a catholic fellow.

Efforts by the then students at Kisumu Boys High Schools who vehemently protested the move to transfer their beloved Principal fell on deaf ears as nothing changed despite their protests.

Previously, in the year 2004, Kisumu Boys under the watchdog of Principal Awiti managed to produce a top Student in Nyanza region when the KCSE Results were announced with the boy being number 12 nationally and this was seen as his major achievement hence making the students to protest at his abrupt transfer the year that followed, 2005.

And recently, the Arch Bishop alleged and constant interference in the running of the Government instituitions which are sponsored by his Catholic Church eminently came to the fore when he insisted that the now interdicted Principal of Bolo Girls Secondary School Rose Mbati Olela stayed put in school despite being transferred to another school within the same region.

Bolo Secondary school is a government institution which is situated in Arch Bishop’s village of Bolo in Nyakach District but sponsored by the Catholic Church.

The immediate former Principal Rose Mbati is said to be a sister in law of the Arch Bishop Okoth having been married to his Younger brother,r Ambrose Olela Awuor.

Before the Principal was interdicted, a team led by the Kisumu County Education Staffing Officer Gladys Toywa made two unsuccessful attempts on diverse dates of September 7 and 12 this year respectively to take over the school with an aim of handing it over to the new Principal Joyce Omondi who was moved from Bishop Okoth Girls Miranga where she was a Deputy Principal.

The Staffing officer, only managed after her third attempt on September 24 where the Deputy Principal Madam Rebecca Omany oversaw the handling over of the school on behalf of the then Principal who was claiming to be sick and could not do the official handing over having given the same reasons on both the first and the second visits, by the Staffing Officer.

But what followed after the handing over at the school was very perturbing as a new turn of events emerged where a section of the locals who are related to the Principal Rose Mbati got agitated and threatened the Deputy Principal for allegedly handing over the school without what they termed as proper procedures.

One such person who has been identified as John Onyango Awuor who is a brother in- law of the Rose Olela and a brother to Arch Bishop Okoth who allegedly issued threats to the Deputy Principal after the handing over ceremony.

There are now claims that the new Principal has been served with a letter from Arch Bishop Okoth instructing her not to set foot in the school and only wants her Sister in- law back at the school as the Principal.

Sources further unmasked that the out going Principal Rose Mbati was last week brought back to the school under unclear circumstances despite the handing over.

Kisumu County Director of Education in charge of Teachers Management has since interdicted the Principal for her alleged failure to honour the transfer.

Among other accusation revolves around the immediate former Principal Rose Mbati being investigated by the Ethics and Anti- Corruption Commission {EACC} on allegations of misappropriation of school funds.

In a letter dated June 4, 2012 which we have obtained a copy read in part: “The Ethic and Anti- Corruption Commission {EACC} is carrying out investigations into allegation of misappropriation/embezzlement of school funds,”

The letter continues “To facilitate our investigation we request that you provide us with the following original documents relating to the purchase of maize and beans by Our Lady of Lourdes- Bolo Girls Secondary School for the year 2012 and 2012″

Board of Governors Minutes authorizing the procurement, Advertisement to tenders, Letters of appointment for tender opening, evaluation and award committees are some of the documents the EACC requires from the interdicted principal.

The area County Director of Education in charge of Teachers Management Beatrice Agala confirmed that the Principal has duly been interdicted pending investigations on her alleged refusal to go on a transfer.

Meanwhile, Panic has gripped Bolo Girls Secondary School in Nyakach District of Kisumu County after the school’s Deputy Principal has raised an alarm fearing for her life.

The Deputy Principal Rebecca Omany of Our Lady of Lourdes Bolo Girls Secondary School said unknown suspected criminals got their way into the school on the night of September 24 and tried to attack her while asleep with her two children at their house within the school.

Speaking to the press in Kisumu after she managed to escape the ordeal last week, Madam Omany said what is puzzling is the manner in which the attackers behaved during the incident and how the police have tried to handle the matter.

She claimed that her predicament begun earlier in that material day when a new Principal came over to take up the management of the school with the help of the new Kisumu County Staffing Officer Gladys Toywa after the Principal Rose Mbati Olela had been transferred to another school.

Omany claimed that the new Principal came to take over the school within the help of the County Staffing officer after three attempts to do so failed, adding that her boss was adamant to hand over while claiming that she needed more time to prepare for the process.

“ I was just instructed by the Kisumu County Staffing Officer to oversee the process of handing over the school to the new Principal who came over for the third time of September 24, this year after my boss did not comply with them on the issue and I feel nothing wrong I did concerning the matter,” she said.

Reports indicated that , the outgoing Principal was present at the school at the time of the handing over ceremony but did not show up for the process while claiming that she was too sick to hand over the school to her successor.

Immediately after the process on the same day, a brother in-law of the now interdicted Principal reportedly issued some threats to the store keeper who is also the school’s messengers while asking him why the Deputy Principal agreed to hand over the school without the knowledge of its Board of Governors and the Archbishop of the Church which has sponsored the school.

Sources told the battery of scribes that the Brother in-law even threatened that he would see where the new Principal and her Deputy would spend a night while at the school.

Reports have it that after the handing over process the new Principal went back to Kisumu for some good preparations before settling fully but the deputy remained in the school.

According to Omany, It was at around 10:00 pm when the suspected thugs threw stones at her house followed by a big one which almost hit them had it been that they were all asleep.

“ I just escaped death by a whisker after the suspected thugs threw a huge stone which fell on my bed after the first two they also threw made me awake with my two children who I was with at the time of the frightening incident,’’ she added.

She immediately informed her new boss by calling her cell phone who in turn informed the nearby Parish Priest of the incident before sending a villager whom she also telephoned to report the incident to Sondu/Miriu Police station.

Omany stated that things were not all that easy as the police were too reluctant to help her on the matter while adding that an officer retorted that they could not handle such matter because of those who have vested interest in the school.

ENDS:

N/B-To be continued next week on how the immediate former Principal of Bolo Girls irregularly interdicted a teacher at the school, More details on the alleged maize and beans scandal perpetuated by the said Principal as well as how she allegedly collected more than 6 million for a multi- purpose hall that never was.