School allows church on grounds, residents want managers out

Some residents from Katani location in Mlolongo, Machakos County are up in arms demanding for the disbandment of Seme primary school’s board of management.

The locals demanded that the public school’s board be disbanded and a new one be instituted with immediate effect.

They threatened to forcibly eject the school’s head teacher from the institution if he is not transferred within the next two weeks.

They accused the head teacher of colluding with some board members alongside some local administrators to mismanage the school.

At the centre of the residents’ and school’s BOM woes is an upcoming construction belonging to AIC Ushindi – Seme church allegedly erected inside the public institution’s compound.

The construction was reportedly stopped following residents’ concerns on why the church was being constructed inside the public institution.

The protesting residents accused the school’s management of colluding with some church officials alongside some local administrators to allegedly attempt to take over the public land by erecting the building without locals’ consent.

“We have met here at Seme primary school because there is a problem that has been in the offing for a long time concerning the school’s land, and also some of the new development projects which have been coming up within the school against the law and agreement with the community,” resident’s spokesman Ben Simiyu said.

The residents spoke to the Star outside the school compound over the weekend.

“We have some old parents here, community members who initiated the school by bringing whatever they could so that it could come up,” Simiyu said.

Mlolongo assistant county commissioner Dennis Ongaga however said he was the one who issued an order for the construction to be stopped.

Ongaga said the construction which was at the foundation level was stopped on February 8, 2023. Laying of the foundation had been completed.

The locals claimed that the school land was initially 27 acres meant for construction of primary and secondary schools alongside a TVET or college.

“But as of now, 15 years down the line, the same land has disappeared. Even the title of the land which was earmarked for a public school no longer belongs to the institution, but a different organization,” Simiyu said.

Simiyu said the community was triggered by the act of school’s management allowing the church to be constructed inside the school.

He said more than 300 community members were irked with happenings in the school.

“We have never seen anything that we can say the church has done in the school so as to warrant being given the opportunity to construct a chapel within the school compound,” Simiyu said.

The locals said they had attempted to engage the head teacher and school’s BOM over the grievances in vain.

“We have tried to call the headteacher together with his BOM to come we discuss issues concerning the school in vain. There are illegal levies he is charging parents,” Simiyu said.

Simiyu said they as a community had explored other avenues to engage the school’s management in vain.

They said public participation was a must for anything to be done in the school.

“Historically, it’s the churches that construct schools. They buy land and donate part of it to schools. How come now that the school is giving to the church?” Simiyu asked.

The locals said they had attempted to engage the head teacher and school’s BOM over the grievances in vain.

“We have tried to call the head teacher together with his BOM to come we discuss issues concerning the school in vain,” Simiyu said.

He said public participation was a must for anything to be done in the school.

“Historically, it’s the churches that construct schools. They buy land and donate part of it to schools. How come now that the school is giving to the church?” Simiyu questioned.

The school’s head teacher Anthony Ngatia referred the Star to area chief Jane Mbithe, Athi River sub county TSC director and his Education ministry’s counterpart when contacted for comments.

“Journalists aren’t allowed to visit schools, I’m not allowed to talk to the press either. Go get responses from Katani chief, Athi River sub-county TSC director and Sub-county director of education,” Ngatia told the Star on phone on Monday.

The church’s pastor Charles Muema refuted claims of attempts to grab part of the school land stating that they had been allocated the piece by the BOM.

“The church didn’t grab any land. It was allowed to start a hall within that could have been used by the school during the week from Monday to Saturday as they were in shortage of teaching facilities and the church then to use it on Sundays for worship,” Muema said.

“The school BOM approved us in August 2022 for short stay as we looked for our own land. We are no longer at the school as a church, we left all accusations to God,” he said.

“Our promise was giving back to the society. The school’s staffroom is pathetic, we painted a classroom and supported needy child with fee to join Form one in January,” Muema added.

Muema said the community should take over the construction and complete the structure after the church exited.

“We aren’t claiming anything back since our long term promise was to build at least a classroom. Where you saw the foundation, was according to the school plan,” he said.

He said the structure was meant for an ECD classroom.

The school’s BOM chairman Edwin Onchwari said he couldn’t comment on the claims since relevant government authorities were already investigating the issue.

“The matter is being handled by different relevant authorities. So, in my capacity as the BOM chairman, I’m not able to say anything,” Onchwari said.

“Like this said piece of land, the 22 acres, is a case under investigations by EACC,” Onchwari told the Star by phone.

Katani chief Jane Mbithe said her intervention led to the school’s establishment in 2010.

Mbithe said the school owns 25 and not 27 acres as alleged by the locals.

Reading malice in the allegations, Mbithe said the public land LR NO Mavoko Block 2/206 was intact.

She said only 5 acres of the land where the school sits had been developed, the rest 20 acres was lying idle.

Locals said they will within 14 days raise funds to construct extra classrooms for Junior secondary.