KUPPET Threatens To Sue Health,Education Ministries
The Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) has disclosed that it would take legal actions against Health and Education Ministries following the Mukumu Girls High School tragedy.
Speaking to the media on Wednesday April 19, 2023, KUPPET Secretary General Akelo Misori said that union wants the two ministries to compensate the family of their member, a teacher who also doubled up as a boarding mistress in the school died in the tragedy.
“We are the representative of the people and can sue on behalf and have the legitimate mandate to do that…in the circumstances, our member has died because of their negligence. We are suing the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education on behalf of the families who may not have the voice to do the same. We must sue and demand for damages…they must pay and I know every court in this land will listen to us,” Akelo said.
According to Akelo “The deceased (teacher) is the person who has been taking what the children have been eating…they have died because they’re the boarding mistress. The ministry has problems of compliance, as long as no deaths or diarrhoea has been reported, nobody cares for compliance.
Akelo also claimed that the two ministries failed to review the population guidelines at Mukumu Girls adding that it was difficult to contain the disease outbreak due to overpopulation.
“A school of 2,028 is an equivalent of a sub-location in some jurisdiction of this country which has got two health centres. How did the Ministry of Education say that you must admit more than the number of students required in a school like Mukumu whose capacity according to the establishment is supposed to have only 600 students?” he noted.
He further stretched that; “When the school was compelled to admit under the 100 per cent capacity transition from primary school was it enabled to have the requisite infrastructure in the school?”
The Secretary General also condemned Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu over the substitution of the School Principal Frida Ndolo with Sr. Jane Mmbone Wamukoya and dissolution of Board members adding that the ministry was trying to shift blames for their faults.
“Punishing Madam Ndolo undermines the need to find a solution where she had no control. KUPPET is not amused with the trends of events where victims are penalized on the events that are beyond them,” added Akelo.
KUPPET has however asked the Education CS Machogu to form a team that would review the safety of learning institutions countrywide.
About The Author
