KISUMU, Kenya May 12 – Learning at St Mark’s Obambo Secondary School was on Monday brought to a standstill after hundreds of students staged protests against the transfer of their principal, forcing classes to grind to a halt as tension engulfed the institution.
The agitated learners abandoned lessons and trekked several kilometres from the school to Ojola Trading Centre, demanding an audience with education officials and calling for the immediate revocation of the transfer.
The protests, which also drew parents and local residents, highlighted growing dissatisfaction over what stakeholders described as abrupt and insensitive transfers by the Teachers Service Commission.
“We cannot accept this transfer because our principal has transformed this school and only has two years left before retirement,” said school president Kelly Otieno.
Students described the outgoing principal, Peter Wao, as a compassionate administrator who had supported vulnerable learners and maintained stability in the school during a period of increased enrolment.
According to student leaders, the principal sponsors the education of more than 100 needy students and has allowed struggling parents to pay school fees using alternative forms such as firewood and chickens.
“He understands the struggles of parents here. Some families cannot raise cash school fees, but he still allows their children to stay in school,” Otieno added.
Parents who joined the demonstrations accused education authorities of ignoring the welfare of the school community by effecting the transfer despite objections from stakeholders.
John Okello, one of the parents who marched alongside students, said the decision risked destabilising a school that had recorded steady progress under the current administration.
“We are asking TSC to revoke this transfer because learning cannot continue smoothly when the entire school community is unhappy,” said Okello.
The protests attracted the attention of Rosa Buyu, the Kisumu West Member of Parliament, who openly sided with the students and parents, saying the institution needed continuity and stable leadership.
Speaking during the demonstrations, Buyu defended the principal and criticised TSC officials over what she termed unilateral transfers that disregard the interests of schools.
“These students are very disciplined. What happened today is because they feel they have been pushed to the wall,” said Buyu.
The legislator revealed that she had personally engaged TSC Commissioner Timon Oyucho, who is in charge of transfers, in an attempt to stop the move after learning that the principal had only two years remaining before retirement.
Buyu said the school had expanded rapidly and required experienced leadership to manage its growing student population.
“When students were allowed to join any school for senior secondary, Obambo attracted more than 1,400 students. It needed a mature hand that already understood the school,” she said.
She further claimed that appeals by the principal, teachers, sponsoring churches and education officials had not been considered, fuelling frustration among stakeholders across Kisumu County.
The MP called on the National Assembly’s Education Committee to conduct an audit into transfers within the county, arguing that some decisions were being implemented without adequate consultation or justification.
“We cannot dismantle what has been working well for our school without considering the well-being of learners, teachers and parents,” Buyu stated.
Despite the growing tension, the MP appealed to students to return to class as efforts to resolve the dispute continue.
The demonstrations disrupted transport along sections of the Ojola route for hours before calm was restored following the intervention of local leaders and security officers.
By Monday evening, education officials had not issued an official statement on whether the transfer would be reviewed, even as parents vowed to continue pushing for the principal to remain at the school.
