On Monday, a Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) candidate was forced to skip the first exam. This was after the headteacher of Kibumbu Primary school in Tharaka Nithi, Ms. Hellen Njeri Chabari stopped her from doing exams for allegedly stealing Ksh. 2000 from a teacher.
A bodaboda rider found the girl crying outside the school gates. The girl narrated to the rider what had befallen her. Feeling sorry for the girl, the bodaboda operator pleaded with the headteacher to allow the girl to do exams on a promise that he would pay the Ksh. 2000 later in the Day.
The headteacher however refused to listen to pleas. She insisted that she will only allow the girl to take part in the exam after paying the money.
“I will not allow her to sit for any exam until she pays the money she stole,” she insisted.
The bodaboda rider immediately mobilized other operators to raise the amount. Upon returning to the school gate, she did not find the girl.
“I immediately called some few bodaboda riders who helped me raise the Ksh. 2000. But when I got back to the school I did not find the girl,” he said.
The desperate girl went home and came back to school with her mother. The mother pleaded with the headteacher to allow the girl to do the exam but she insisted that the money had to be settled in full.
It was only after the intervention of the County Director of Education, Bridget Wambua that the girl was allowed to take part in the second examination paper, having missed the first one.
“My officers handled the matter effectively and the girl now doing the examinations,” Ms. Wambua said.
According to the mother, the teacher reported that she stole Ksh. 2000 towards the end of the last term. Although there was no proof, the mother apologized and promised to pay the money.
“If I had money, I would have paid. But I am a single mother with no job. I also have some other kids who are also in school,” she said.
ALSO READ:
