Reports Leo Odera Omolo In Kisumu City.
REPORTS emerging from the Southern Nyanza district of Homa- Bay says that tension is running high between the local community, provincial administration over the recent attempt to shut down an institution offering free education to hundreds of orphans and destitute children.
The Terryccan De gralia is located at Sinema Market in East Gem Locaion, Rangwe Constituency in Homa-Bay district.
It is runs by a charity organization and situated outside Asumbi Roman Catholic Mission, but enjoys no support and backing from the church.
Thew trouble started brewing up on June 10, this year when the students rioted and a contingent of armed policemen from Kisii visited the institution in order to quell the rioting. The enraged students then engaged the policemen in a running battle which last for close to two hours as the students resisted the attempt to have the institution closed down.
The students and pupils numbering hundreds defiantly refused to vacate the institution, claiming that they do not have places they called their homes because most of them were orphans and destitute children. This led to a protracted negotiation between the security personnel and the director of the Center Fr Kevin Abong’o of the nearby Asumbi Catholic Mission.
After defiantly refusing to vacate the institution, which the provincial administration had claimed was being run and managed illegally
And after engaging the police on a running battle for several hours, the enraged students and pupils later moved to the nearby chief’s camp and set buildings ablaze. They did this after suspecting that on suspicion that the local chief had a hand in their predicament.
The rioting students insisted that they do not have places to call their homes, and the center has been known to be their only home of refuge.
“We are in this place not only as students, but also as our only known home, so we going nowhere, the students defiantly told the policemen who visited the Center with instruction to have it shut down.”
After the running battle with the defiant student, the security officers later engaged the Center’s director Fr Kevin Abong’o Shalom in a serious discussion held at his residence inside the Assumbi TTC and Roman Catholic Mission.
After discussions, the two groups agreed to call a meeting of the guardians to resolve the matter. It was also agree that an Harambee meeting be called in order to raise money, which could be utilized on improvement of the facility such as sanitation and other social amenities for the students.
The Center is a private charity institution run by the local community. It has board members, but not registered with the church. It is located on the land plot which is separated from the Asumbi Catholic Mission fund drive be called to raise the money for the improvement of the facility as had earlier been recommended by a team of education inspectors from the District Education offices at Homa-Bay, which included sanitation and other social amenities at the school.
The Center is an integrated institution housing a primary and secondary schools. Its pupils have sat for the KCPE for the sixth years consecutively and sat for KCSE last year. And the local community iis now left wondering as to why there is gross interference in the running of this important educational institution, which is providing free education to the orphans and destitute children.
Prior to the trouble a team of inspectors from the district education offices in Homa-Bay had visited the Center and conducted inspection and later made certain recommendations for certain measures to be taken for the improvement of the institution.
Following the order by the Provincial Administration to have the Center closed down Fr Abong’o last week moved to the High Court and obtained a court order restraining anyone wishing to have the school shut down. The order was issued by the resident judge Justice A.Makhandia.
The institution has since held the election of its BOG and PTA in which Ojwang’Osano was named the chairman while Angeline Kunga made the treasurer. The Board has now called for major Harambee meeting to raise the money for the improvement of the facility as per the recommendation of the Ministry officials.
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leooderaomolo@yahoo