By Kasese District News team
A would-be hand-over ceremony at Rwenzori High School, Kasese district, turned dramatic when the school Board of Governors blocked the newly posted headteacher from taking it over.
Mr Mohamed Ssenambi Matembe had reported to the school January 18 to take over from the school’s out-going Headteacher, Mr Siraj Ssenyunja, who has also been transferred to Mpigi district.
The function, held at the school compass, was chaired by Board of Governors chairperson, John Thawite, who is also the Kasese District Information Officer, Kasese.
Thawite said that the board was reluctant to hand over the school to the new head teacher saying there was some issues about Muhamed Ssenambi Matembe that needed to be clarified first before he can be accepted to the school.
The board later appointed Joseph Mweru as a caretaker of the school until there is farther advice about the issue by the ministry of education.
Mweru pledged to work with the stakeholders of the school to lead the school to the desired destination.
Members of the Board also cast doubt on the hand over report of the out-going head teacher, demanding further scrutiny of the creditors and debtors of the school.
In his hand over report, Ssenyunja had indicated that the school was indebted with more than Shs90,000,000.
Ssenyunja disappeared soon after reading his handover report, which the BOG found very lacking but reluctantly received it with the comments to avoid delaying the operations of the school, which re-opens for first term at the end of january.
He left purportedly to pick bring grounded school lorry keys, the log book and the school cheque books, taking the office keys and the school stamp with him.
He immidately disapperaed and efforts to trace him both physically and on pohne were futile because he had switched off.
“As we ended our meeting, some of the teachers and support staff at the school reported to us that they had grabbed the office keys from one of the youth who have been living with Ssenyunja at the school, as the youth tried to figdet with the office door,” Thawite said January 19.
Source at the school said Mr Ssenyunja later re-appeared at the school around 7.00 p.m and left after 8.00 p.m, taking away the people who were living with him and some personal items.
Speaking at the hand-over function the acting District Education Officer Kasese George Mainja, challenged the newly transferred head teachers to make sure they present proper and acceptable hand over reports before they can fully be accepted to their new stations.
Some prominent members of the community including the Foundation Body chairperson, Cosntantine Mbiwa, his Vice, Nason Bukombi, the Vice chairperson of the Parents and Teachers’ Association, Enos Mutheya and the LC I chairperson Ibanda II village, Tom Bwakere witnessed the hand-over.
