Battle for Sacho High School: Moi Family and Community Lock Horns
In a Nakuru court, a titanic battle is raging over the ownership of Sacho High School in Baringo County, which is currently owned by the family of the late President Daniel crap Moi.
A group of elders from the Sacho region of Baringo, who want the court to order the transformation of Sacho High School from a private to a public institution, is at the heart of the dispute.
More than ninety plaintiffs have filed a lawsuit against the school’s administration, alleging that the school’s registration as a private school was illegal and conducted without the participation of residents.
“The school was acquired through corrupt means and converted into a private institution. In 2006, we discovered that it was a private institution, according to court documents.
Elders have filed a lawsuit against the Sacho High School Board of Trustees, the Ministry of Education, and the Attorney General.
The 98 petitioners challenged in court what they deemed to be the unlawful privatization of a public school.
The group argued that the school’s transformation into a private institution violated their property and education rights.
The group argued in court that the Sacho community funded the school by selling their goats to raise the necessary funds.
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They assert that the privatization of the school has rendered it unaffordable for the children of the community, in violation of their constitutional rights.
School administration “We can no longer enroll our children in the institution due to the exorbitant fees, and community members are denied the opportunity to work and benefit from the school’s operations,” they wrote in court documents.
In their lawsuit, they seek a declaration that the management’s continued operation of Sacho High School infringes upon their interest in and right to the school’s land, buildings, and assets.
The petitioners also seek declarations that the Ministry of Education’s decision to revoke the school’s original registration as a public school violated their right to property protection.
In addition, they want the court to issue orders compelling the administration to publish and audit the school’s accounts since its privatization, and to award appropriate damages.
However, the administration of Sacho High School has defended its ownership by stating that it was founded by the late President Daniel Arap Moi and is administered by trustees.
In court documents, the school board asserts that the petitioners have failed to demonstrate ownership or any other form of proprietary interest in the school.
In its submission through attorney Steve Biko Osur, the board asserts that the school was founded as a trust.
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It contends that Sacho High School belongs to the trustees, whose founder was the late President Daniel Arap Moi.
Through donations According to Mr. Biko, the former president funded the school’s construction through donations he made to the institution.
This contradicts the petitioner’s assertion that the school was constructed using funds raised between 1963 and 1965.
Mr. Biko stated that the former president and founder of Sacho High School made significant contributions through the school’s trustees and other partners.
The board argued before a three-judge panel comprised of Hillary Chemitei, Rachel Ngetich, and Teresia Matheka that the school was registered as a non-profit private school in 1985 and did not meet the requirements to be registered as a public institution.
Although some of the school’s teachers were hired through the Teachers Service Commission, the court heard that the school did not receive any government grants or aid.
Denied admission The school administration has accused the petitioners of dishonesty and challenged them to provide evidence that their qualified children were denied admission to the school.
Mr. Biko argued that the school could not be faulted for charging excessive tuition to fund its operations.
“It appears that the petitioners are seeking preferential treatment for their children based solely on their proximity to the school,” he said. Previously, Jonathan Moi, the son of the late president, and Joshua Kulei, a businessman, served as trustees of the school.
Battle for Sacho High School: Moi Family and Community Lock Horns
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