By REUBEN OLITA
June 13, 2026| Anti-riot police from Aboloi Police Post under Malaba Police Station on Monday thwarted a planned protest by parents over alleged poor leadership at Mwari RC Comprehensive School in Teso North Sub-county.
The officers, led by Malaba Officer Commanding Station (OCS) Charles Juma, blocked parents carrying placards from accessing the school compound, saying they had moved in to maintain law and order.
“We received information that some people were planning to demonstrate, so we came to ensure peace prevails,” said OCS Juma.
Before the police intervention, some parents are said to have accessed the school as early as 4:00 a.m. and pinned written grievances on the main gate and other strategic points within the institution.
In the petition, the parents accused Principal Rosemary Isokat of financial mismanagement, alleging that KSh904,000 was withdrawn from the school’s bank account on various dates between January 8 and April 28, 2026.
They also claimed she uses abusive language, mistreats teachers, and has failed to pay Board of Management-employed teachers and non-teaching staff, with some reportedly going for more than four months without salaries.
The parents further alleged that learners are routinely sent home at around 2:00 p.m. to collect school fees shortly after returning from lunch.
“It disturbs us that the headteacher sends children home for school fees at 2:00 p.m. after they have just returned to school. This is unheard of,” said one parent.
They also claimed that despite parents donating maize and beans to support the school’s feeding programme, many pupils still leave the school for lunch.
The latest protest comes months after a similar demonstration on October 1, 2025, when parents at Adanya Comprehensive School protested against the same principal over alleged leadership concerns.
Reached for comment, Teso North Sub-county Director of Education Rose Sagara said she could not respond to the allegations before investigations are concluded.
“My comment will be mere speculation until the issues are verified by the Quality Assurance and Standards (QAS) office and the Audit Department. We shall undertake assessment and investigations into the matter,” she said.
School management spent the better part of Monday in a crisis meeting chaired by Teso North Deputy County Commissioner Stephen Onyamasi.
The meeting was also attended by Mwari Sub-location Assistant Chief Rita Oshale as officials sought to address the concerns raised by the parents.