His glasses characteristically propped on his forehead, a handkerchief crushed in his hands, he launched into a tirade; raging at Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i for declaring the organisation he chairs – the Kenya National Association of Parents – “illegal.”/FILE
NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 28 – He walked in damp from the rain but it soon became clear that the downpour that preceded his entry hadn’t dampened his evident anger.
His glasses characteristically propped on his forehead, a handkerchief crushed in his hands, he launched into a tirade; raging at Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i for declaring the organisation he oversees – the Kenya National Association of Parents – “illegal.”
“Musau Ndunda in the eyes of Kenyans has been portrayed as a conman,” he said referring to himself in the third person.
He was reacting to a letter wrote to him by Matiang’i on Monday, informing him that schools would no longer remit any funds to his Association as its membership was not that envisaged in law.
“A thorough review of your constitution reveals that your association is not the umbrella body of parents anticipated in the Basic Education Act. A review of your bylaws does not provide for the county nor school parents associations, as members.
“Instead, it opens up your ‘umbrella’ body to individual memberships. This is inconsistent with the spirit and interests of the Basic Education Act,” the letter stated.
A letter he accused the Ministry of Education of leaking, in order to embarrass him. “It’s written to me and copied to the Principal Secretary (Belio Kipsang) how did it end up on social media?” he posed.
A matter he said he intended to pursue in court when he filed a suit against Matiang’i and Kipsang for the perceived assault on his character. “I’m very good in court cases,” he said over and over.
A court which he said Matiang’i had shown no regard for when he ordered schools to desist from making payments to his Association yet there is a petition he filed pending in the High Court.
A petition intended to keep the Education Ministry from, “interfering,” in parents association elections.
“We were in court today and Justice Mumbi Ngugi gave us leave to institute contempt of court proceedings,” he reported.
Having made his prowess at navigating the court processes clear, Ndunda moved on to the observations Matiang’i had made regarding his organisation in his letter.
He defended it against the accusation that it is not representative of Kenyan parents and he defended its right to collect money from schools.
“If we ask money, that’s our business. It’s not his business. After all we’re not getting money from the government. It is contributions by parents. And that money that you’re talking of is in the constitution of the schools. He must tell us who he is.”
His ultimate message to Matiang’i: “We have been in existence for 16 years… Namwambia Magufuli, because he’s the Magufuli of Education, kwenda pole pole. Tutakuchoma. Utachomeka.”
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