Eugine Wabwile 
BY ALEX WANJALA, TMG JOURNALIST
The Bungoma branches of the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) and the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) have come out swinging against the County Director of Education, Pius Ng’oma.
The unions have made some serious allegations against Ng’oma, accusing him of creating a toxic environment for teachers and mismanaging the education sector in Bungoma.During a fiery press briefing, KUPPET Secretary General Augustine Luketelo didn’t hold back, claiming that Ng’oma is treating the educational system like his own personal fiefdom. Luketelo alleged that Ng’oma has been extorting money from school heads, making it nearly impossible for principals to effectively run their schools. And if that wasn’t enough, Luketelo accused Ng’oma of demanding bribes from schools, with a hefty price tag of no less than ksh 10,000 per visit.But the allegations didn’t stop there.
Luketelo highlighted the lack of communication regarding financial remittances from the Ministry of Education under Ng’oma’s leadership, leaving teachers and administrators in the dark about crucial funding updates. The unions are not taking these accusations lightly, as they believe Ng’oma has been greasing the wheels by bribing senior ministry officials to sweep their concerns under the rug.KNUT’s Secretary General for the Webuye East Branch, Robert Mandila, chimed in, pointing out the noticeable decline in school performance during Ng’oma’s three-year tenure.
The unions are now demanding that the Teachers Service Commission take swift action by transferring Ng’oma. And if their demands fall on deaf ears, they are ready to take to the streets in protest, even going as far as locking Ng’oma’s office with padlocks to make a statement.The situation has escalated to a boiling point, with Luketelo warning, We are demanding that our county directors be transferred away from Bungoma. In case he won’t be transferred, we are going to block him from moving from one station to another to address the teachers in this county.
The ball is now in the court of the authorities to address these serious allegations and restore peace in the education sector in Bungoma.As of now, Pius Ng’oma remains silent, unavailable for comment on the allegations brought against him. The unions are not backing down, and the pressure is on for a resolution to this contentious issue.
