Anne Katee is now in hot soup after parents of Westlands-based St George’s Primary School sent a letter to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to investigate illegalities in the school.
According to documents seen by cnyakundi.com, Ms Katee is accused of sidelining the parents association while making important decisions concerning the school.
The school which has a population of over 2000 pupils, earns over Sh14 million per term. Showing the enormous amount of money now under Ms. Katee who left recently Bidii Primary School, based in Buruburu.
The letter to EACC which was CCed to various relevant authorities in the education sector among them Ministry of Education, Teachers Service Commission (TSC), Ministry of Labour, among others accuses Ms. Katee of taking up all remedial fees amounting to Sh20,000 per class to her. The parents further accuse her of planning to embezzle Sh7 million in an illegal CCTV tender.
It is alleged that she has already allocated Sh3.2 million on the renovation of the headteacher’s house without following due process.
Read more in the letter below.
RE, Corruption Illegalities Irregularities at St George’s Primary School.
Dear Sir,
St. George’s Primary and Junior School located off Dennis Pritt road Nairobi is a public boarding school under the Ministry of Education. It has a pupil population of approximately 2,000 with approximately 600 boarders.
Our school has an approximate income of Kshs. 14,000,000/- per term mostly derived from the boarding section. It also receives grants from the government of Kenya through the Free Primary Education (FPE) a Junior School capitation among others.
We are inviting you through your commission to investigate corruption, illegalities and irregularities that have come to our attention since the appointment of a new head teacher who reported in January 2023. The head teacher has disregarded the Kenyan Basic Education Act (2013) specifically the third schedule section 55 No.6 and the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act No. 33 of 2015 and various other sections in the aforementioned Acts of Parliament.
The head teacher has also totally sidelined the Parents Association having only held one Parents Association meeting this year whose sole purpose was to remove members who insist that the school needs to adhere to the Basic Education Act. Matters like renovation of the head teacher’s house that costed a whopping Kshs. 3,200,000/- did not go through the Parents Association as envisaged by the Act section 55 No 6 (f). The Chairperson of the PA who is a signatory to the PA account is kept in the dark in all matters relating to finances and the head teacher uses two other signatories to get cheques signed. He is not also not invited for Executive Board of Management meetings. She has also introduced a Kshs. 1,500/- for interviews of prospective new pupils without the input of the Parents Association and ratification by the Board of Management.
Among other concerns that we humbly request you to investigate include:
1. Procurement of goods and services is that is being undertaken by the Board of Management committee of Finance, Procurement and General purpose which is meant to oversight while the actual procurement is supposed to be handled as envisaged in the PPOA Act and detailed in the Public Procurement Manual for Schools and Colleges. For example, the evaluation committee for the renovation of the head teacher’s house was conducted by the Board of Management Finance, Procurement and General purpose committee in contravention of the PPOA Act (2015) section 46 4(b) where the head of procurement (head teacher) appoints an adhoc committee comprising of between three and five members appointed on a rotational basis comprising heads of user department and two other departments or their representatives and where necessary procured consultants and professionals. The procurement is marred with illegalities, irregularities and tribalism.
Ng’oroko T, [14-Nov-23 8:10 PM] The school is also procuring goods and services without an approved budget and a school improvement plan (SIP) equivalent to the procurement plan contrary to part VI 53 (2) of the PPDA Act. Kindly also investigate single sourcing, direct procurement and the lack of prequalified suppliers.
2. Regular cash withdrawals for dubious expenses. Receipts and payment vouchers are manipulated to regularize illegal expenditure.
3. Abandonment of the renovation of the school’s swimrning pool where millions of parents’ contributions had already been spent. The renovation is Lairdlvdor the State Department of Public Works and she has disregarded their a I occasions including refusing to pay for pending bills which goes agaicnestethhe IPPOA (Public Procurement Code of Ethks for Procuring Entities) section D (No.1).
4. The secondment of a Deputy Regional Director of Education to the school by the Regional Director of Education. The officer is involved in the day to day running of the school including procurement. He also overrules the Board of Management decisions, and is involved in awarding of tenders, meeting contractors and suppliers among other improprieties. Could the officer be looking out for the interests of a senior Ministry of Education official in a cartel like manner, The Sub County Director of Education who the school, jurisdiction falls under is rendered “toothless- with the presence of this senior officer in a prim ary school.
5. In matters, academics the head teacher has sidelined her deputies, where one is the head of procurement function who is not consulted on matters procurement under section 47(2) and 84 of the PPOA Act. The sidelining of the deputies has caused disharmony within the teaching fraternity. She has
also forced the class teachers through a verbal communication to remit Kshs 20,000/. remedial levies to her on a monthly basis.
6. Discrimination of the Muslim community in the school which goes against the Republic of Kenya and Ministry of Education policy of inclusivity is hurting the learning environment in our school.
7. On matters boarding, the girls’ dormitories are totally congested forcing the girls to roll on the beds to access their respective beds. Her termination of extension of the boys’ dormitory where all boys were to be housed in the new dormitory while the girls occupy the former boys’ dormitory is the root cause of the above. While thls is ongoing they plan to procure a CCTV system for Kshs. 7,000,000/-
8. On matters ethics the head teacher presided over an Annual General Meeting without the involvernent of the Parents Association and failed to produce an audited financial report and proceeded to implement resolutions that were not adopted in the meeting. Specifically, she introduced a snack fee without the input and adoption of the Parents Association and Board of Management.
9. Lastly, kindly investigate the hiring of support staff without the involvement of the Board of Management contrary to the Basic Education Act section 59(P). Some of the Board of Management teachers and support staff salaries have been reviewed downwards and the school is not remitting statutory deductions for NHIF and NSSF as required by law.
St. George’s Primary School successes have been as a result on concerted efforts of the Ministry of Education, TSC, Parents, Pupils, school’s administration and other stakeholders. Ten years ago the school was struggling with finances and pupil enrollment among other pertinent issues. It is sad to watch four individuals sideline the stakeholders of our school especially the Parents Association who contribute the bulk of the school’s finances. The Basic Education Act has envisioned a harmonious working relation between the Board of Management, Administration and Parents Association for the sake of accountability, transparency and success of schools.
We invite you and other stakeholders to conduct an independent, unbiased investigation to verify on the aforementioned issues and take necessary action if warranted.
Regards Concerned parents
