LEFT: Former Murang'a Governor Mwangi wa Iria RIGHT: Edinburgh School Edinburgh School in Murang'a County is facing allegations of withholding teacher salaries for six months.
Writing to this blog on Tuesday, February 7, 2023, a source who requested anonymity revealed that the school's owner, former Murang'a Governor Mwangi Wa Iria, and the school's principal, Mr Packlay, are heartless and ruthless towards staff members.
Despite repeated requests for payment, they have refused to comply and disburse the pending salaries.
Teachers have been threatened with sacking and losing all of their back pay if they continue to demand their wages.
The situation has left them living a miserable life, with those in rental houses and families feeling the brunt of this blatant exploitation.
The source also alleges that lessons at the school have been overburdened, with teachers allocated 40 lessons or more, and several subjects lacking teachers altogether.
Despite paying a fee of 180,000 Kenyan shillings per term, students seem to be receiving a substandard education.
According to the anonymous source, when some teachers tried to ask for their money, the school management issued a memo threatening them, and five teachers were subsequently sacked.
The sacked teachers have not been paid to date.
The situation has left workers living a miserable life, with those in rental houses and families feeling the brunt of the exploitation. "Hello Cyprian, please hide my identity. I am an employee of Edinburgh school Murang'a. This school is hell for workers. The owner, former Murang'a Governor Mwangi wa Iria is heartless and ruthless. The principal in charge, Mr Packlay, is worse. Imagine teaching and non-teaching staff haven't been paid salaries for six months now! They lead a miserable life. If you try to ask for the money, you are threatened with sacking and losing all the money for the unpaid months. You keep working with the hope that you will be paid, as they keep promising. For those of us in rental houses and with families, it has been depressing. Several teachers have not reported this yet due to these problems. Lessons have been shared with those who reported, and you can find a teacher allocated 40 lessons or more. Most subjects have no teachers. It feels guilty that we are wasting students despite paying a fee of 180,000 per term. When we tried asking for our money, a memo was out to threaten us, and five teachers were sacked. They haven't been paid to date. Please expose them and help us get justice," the source says. View document In a confirmation of the ongoing struggle, another teacher reached out to our news desk on Monday, 20 February 2023.
The teacher, who requested anonymity, expressed solidarity with their colleagues and affirmed that the story of Edinburgh School Murang'a not paying its workers was true.
According to the teacher, the workers are still waiting for their August salary, making their plight even more dire.
The teacher further alleged that Mr Mugaisi has been responsible for covering up the alleged oppression.
The source ominously concluded, "The storm that awaits the oppressor is great."