[L] Kauti Academy director Jacob Kioko with a relative at the school in Kitengela,
Machakos county, on Wednesday [R] Senior counsel John Khaminwa and Kauti Academy director Jacob Kioko at the
former’s office in Nairobi on Wednesday /GEORGE OWITI
The Kauti Academy’s community is pushing for the re-opening of the private school after it indefinitely closed down in March 2024.
The locals questioned the manner in which the educational institution closed despite being among the best academically in Kajiado and in the country.
The school produced the best KCPE candidate nationally in 2015.
The school director Jacob Kioko, 68, said the institution was killed by negative publicity from individuals well known to him.
The Star could not authenticate his claims as no evidence was produced.
“Kauti Academy located in Kitengela was started in 2003. It had a population of 500 learners. The school isn’t operational now due to its closure prompted by smear campaigns by some individuals due to Sh22 million bank loan that I secured in 2022,” Kioko told the Star on Wednesday.
A smear campaign, also referred to as a smear tactic, is an effort to damage or call into question someone’s reputation through negative propaganda. It makes use of discrediting tactics and can be applied to individuals or groups.
Kioko said the sustained negative campaigns, running from July 2023 up to the school’s collapse, were malicious.
“Some people had taken to social media and poisoned parents against the school so that they withdrew their children to a point of from 500 to less than 100 learners, making operations impossible. The school had to close down,” Kioko narrated.
He had a pending loan, having repaid Sh16 million out of the Sh22 million owed to the bank when the school closed down.
His efforts to have the unpaid loan issues amicably resolved with the bank bore no fruits.
“Despite reaching out to the bank through writing multiple letters of complaints on the matter, no information ever came and they pressed ahead and allegedly sold my property,” Kioko said.
Kioko was unable to fully service the remaining loan after the number of learners tremendously went down since he relied on school fees paid.
“The issue of the school’s auctioning is strange because they killed it and then they want the payment of the loan that had remained after paying Sh16 million out of Sh22 million. They killed my school deliberately.”
“The incremental fourth instalment is a blatant breach of contract because the contract is in black and white developed by the bank itself that payments come three times a year; January, May and September. The three conditions had been met in full before they came up with a fourth instalment in October.”
The aggrieved director said losing the property took more than just his school.
“The purported auctioning of that property is illegal in every aspect. That property houses not only my residence, but it’s only my livelihood and in that compound, I have some of my relatives buried there,” Kioko said.
He settled on the quarter hectare parcel of land many years back. His late wife was buried on the property in 1990. The director said he sponsored five vulnerable children’s education at the institution every year.
“It’s painful for me, pupils, teachers and everyone that my school is no longer operational. I will fight for my constitutional rights and those of the children to my last breath,” Kioko said.
A document seen by the Star - seemingly from the bank in question - stated that the school had been auctioned.
The letter addressed to “Who it may concern” and referenced: “Sale of property Kajiado/Kitengela/6930 INO Jacob Mutinda Kioko T/A Kauti Academy” stated that it was sold through public auction.
“We wish to confirm that the above named is our client…., Kitengela branch. The client’s property Kajiado/ Kitengela/ 6930 was sold through the auction process and the proceeds deposited in their bank account on November 23, 2024,” the letter reads in part.
The school has since moved to court challenging the property’s alleged auctioning, terming it illegal. Kioko through the suit case number: HCCC E014 of 2021, wants Kajiado High Court to reverse the auctioning of his property.
His lawyer, George Odhiambo, said he was doing everything legally possible to ensure his client got justice.
“Kauti Academy had no option but to rush to court and try to stop the sale. That’s why the case was initiated in court,” Odhiambo told the Star.
Odhiambo said his client had undergone psychological strain as a result of the issue.
“As a result of that physical and psychological strain, my client has suffered both in health and financially. He almost fell into depression, he is a disabled man,” Odhiambo said.
Senior counsel John Khaminwa joined Odhiambo in the case. “I have just come into Mr Kioko’s case. He lost his property, he built a school that had about 500 children,” Khaminwa told the Star, expressing confidence they would win the case.