By Dante Kayugira and Iptisam Abdallah
Following the closure of the Sacred Heart Mukumu Girls High School by the Ministry of Education after the death of two students and over 200 others taken ill, the school Principal Fiona Ndolo is blaming the media for creating a toxic environment at the school.
In a letter dated April 3, Ms Ndolo claims that were it not for the media blowing the current crisis at the school, learning would be ongoing.
“This is to notify you that following consultation with the Ministry of Education directors and TSC directors, it has been decided that students break off to heal of the TOXIC ENVIRONMENT created by the media,” Ms Ndolo letter reads in part
The letter further reads: “Kindly ensure your daughter receives medical attention and report with a medical report on any underlying issue from MOH from a government hospital. Once the board sits and deliberate, they will resume once the condition has been corrected,”
Agitated Mukumu Girls parents took to social media accusing the principal of engaging in diversionary tactics instead of addressing the real issues on the ground.
“How did the media contribute to the infections that led to deaths of our daughters?’ paused one of the parents adding that the media only brought out what the school wanted to cover up.
Another parent posted: “It would have been prudent for the administration to mention that they’re working hand in hand with ministry of health and specifically public health to ascertain the source of the infection and put in mitigation measures so that we can reduce recurrence of the incident,”
He added: “The spirit of the letter doesn’t acknowledge that this was as a result of food poisoning as it has been alleged from several sources,”
Another parent noted that the Principal was rude in his letter: “But, this letter is not humbling and irresponsible in its wording. Instead of acknowledging the unfolding events leading to closure, deaths occurred, genesis of mass infections, disruption of learning and trauma to our children, we parents bare the yoke of burden and the media takes the blame?
They asked the Principal to tell that the truth and set in a bid to get over the matter given that it was not the first time such an incident had occurred.
Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale took issue with Princiap for blaming the media for her woes at the school.
“In her letter to parents, following the closure if our iconic Mukumu Girls High School, the principal, unblinking, blames what she calls toxic media fir the closure of the school. If Impunity had a face,” said Khalwale
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