Teachers in Bungoma County are at breaking point—and they’re not afraid to say so. Representatives from the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) and the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) are calling for the immediate transfer of County Director of Education Pius Ng’oma. And they have good reason to be frustrated.
That reason is Ng’oma himself. Teachers say he’s been making life difficult for school heads and principals with his constant threats and mistreatment. But that’s not the only issue. There are allegations of financial mismanagement—specifically, that Ng’oma has been holding up government capitation funds meant for infrastructural development. That’s delayed co-curricular activities like sports, drama and music competitions in schools.
But the issue goes far beyond just delayed funds. KUPPET Bungoma Branch Executive Secretary Augustine Kundu Luketelo was scathing in his criticism of Ng’oma’s methods. “He’s been soliciting funds from schools,” Luketelo said at a joint press briefing outside the County Education Office. “That’s left schools struggling to get by.” And it’s not just the schools that are suffering. Recent graduates are being favored in the recruitment process, through what many see as nepotism. President William Ruto’s practice of issuing Teachers Service Commission (TSC) employment forms to politicians at State House undermines labor laws and demoralizes those graduates.
Ng’oma’s leadership style—or lack thereof—is also under fire. Bungoma East KNUT Branch Executive Secretary Robert Mandila says the director avoids meetings with education stakeholders, preventing meaningful discussions on the county’s education challenges. “That’s a major problem,” Mandila said. “We need to be able to talk about the issues that matter to us.” And to Ng’oma, the Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos Ogamba, Mandila urged: “Take action. Transfer the director. Give us a chance to work in a better environment.”
