Friends School Namanjalala students go on strike, demand immediate transfer of Principal Obong’o

Students of Friends Secondary School Namanjalala in Kwanza constituency, Trans Nzoia County took to the streets in the wee hours of Tuesday, September 24 morning protesting over what they claimed to be high handedness from the school management, poor learning conditions among other grievances.

Speaking to the press in Kitale town after trying to seek redress from county education officials on condition of anonymity, they alleged that their parents are subjected to pay extra money for development yet nothing is seen on the ground.

“Our parents go through a lot to ensure that we get the best from this school yet the Principal is doing nothing when it comes the money being collected, the food that we take is not good and also the living conditions in our dormitories are pathetic,” they lamented.

The students who walked more than 5 kilometres braving the morning cold, threatened not to go back to their learning institution until there grievances were addressed insisting on the transferring of the school Principal Mr. Obong’o and some teachers who have also overstayed in the same working station for long.

They added that under Obongo’s leadership, the performance of the school in national examinations has been poor while urging the ministry of education to intervene through his employer, Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to transfer him.

This comes barely days after their neighbours, St. Monicas Girls’ High School, were sent home after raising a raft of complains including mismanagement of their institution by the school head.

Some parents have raised complains after being told to pay KSh25,000 and three rims of paper when the students return to school.

“The students didn’t destroy anything during the go slow and that punishment is uncalled for and we are telling the Principal that her days are numbered,” one of the parent lamented.

By the time we went to the press to students were still protesting in town seeking to be addressed by the relevant authorities in the county.