This archive report was first published on 31 October 2019.
At the heart of the controversy is the alleged mismanagement of Nyali Primary School in Mombasa by its principal, John Kombo. Parents and members of the school's proprietors, Mombasa Parents Club, are up in arms over the principal's alleged involvement in corruption, nepotism, and other irregularities.
According to insiders, Kombo has been accused of inflating purchases, demanding kickbacks, and using his position to benefit himself and his cronies. The school allegedly loses approximately Sh20 million a year due to irregular payments, inflation of purchases, and unaccounted transactions.
The principal has also been accused of using the school's resources and reputation to uplift his private school, Paramount Education Centre, which is run by his wife. Furthermore, parents are unhappy that Kombo allegedly covered up a defilement case involving a teacher and even helped the teacher get employed in Nairobi.
Parents have been demanding a special Annual General Meeting (AGM) to address the issues affecting the school, but Kombo has allegedly frustrated all avenues of holding the meeting. The principal has even resorted to a propaganda campaign among some parents, telling them to refuse the meeting, which would allegedly make their children disqualified for not adhering to government directives.
