Now Bensouda is using Kuya to usurp my roles

 

When Bensouda refused to repay me after I used my own resources to make the school ready for reopening,   I thought of confronting her.

But I feared giving her a good reason to accuse me of sabotage.

 So, I used someone else to make the point. I sent Nyayo, who had helped me mount jerricans in the school compound, to demand the money. Nyayo sought payment from Bensouda, claiming that some of the jerricans were his.

“Thank you Nyayo for the good job that you did,” Bensouda told him. “All over the country, community members are giving their resources to prepare schools for reopening.  It’s good to see that you are the only person who came to our aid. God will not forget you – He will repay you abundantly.”

Next, I sent Maina the shopkeeper to ask for money that had bought soap, but Bensouda was not moved at all.

Despite ensuring that I did not speak with Nyayo or Maina when they went to see her, Bensouda could read between the lines – slowly by slowly, she reduced contact with me. Yet just days before the schools reopened, there existed great friendship between us.  Eventually, Bensouda started working more with Kuya yet I am her lawful principal assistant.

• Worse time

A good example is when she arrived at school last Wednesday morning unannounced. This was her third time to report since we reopened four weeks ago. No one had expected her although I suspect Kuya knew she would come because she found him in class, which is rare. Bensouda could not have come at a worse time.

Since we only have four classes to attend to —  we split Class Eight and Grade 4 into two to achieve the social distancing directive —  no one would expect that we would have a problem ensuring that classes have teachers at all times. But only a fool who has no idea of the special circumstances that we and many other schools find ourselves in would be surprised.

Previous pregnancies

With Nzomo having not reported — she is pregnant and at her home in Nunguni, Ukambani, and Saphire having been sighted everywhere but school, it meant that we were less two teachers.  Although Lena and Mrs Atika come to school daily, they are pregnant. Even when not pregnant, Lena, her bad hair in tow, is generally weak and sickly so you do not expect her to go to class when she is expectant. I actually do not know what she comes to do in school, but since she arrives just before tea break or lunch time, and leaves immediately after filling her stomach, your guess is as good as mine.

Let’s talk about Mrs Atika. Unlike her previous pregnancies, this one seems to like me, and she has become so close to me, always sitting with me in my office talking for long hours, but never going to class or doing any work. Alex only appeared in school on the first day. He claims to be busy at the county education offices looking for a transfer.

Madam Anita claims to have a sick child, and has been to school only twice. That left Kuya, Sella, Anita and I as the only teachers available to teach. As the deputy principal, you do not expect me to be in class throughout — I need to focus on more strategic things affecting the school. Only Kuya and Sella were in class when Bensouda arrived on Wednesday. “What kind of school are you running?” She stormed my office and asked. I was in the office chatting with Mrs Atika. “We only have four classes yet only two have teachers, how do we explain this?”

“Madam HM, I am sure you know what we are going through as many teachers are not available,” I said.

“I know the teachers are away, but we have enough to cover the four classes all the time, unless you are not playing your role as deputy,” she said. “If we can’t handle this, what will happen when all learners report back?  Chaos.”

Bensouda did not even wait for my answer. She went to her office and summoned Kuya once his lesson ended.  They talked for a long time.

That evening, we all received an SMS from Kuya calling for a staff meeting the next day.

In the meeting, Kuya sat next to Bensouda, and they would whisper into each other’s ears regularly, with I being treated like a mere classroom teacher. 

School operations

The key outcome from the meeting was that Kuya would now be in charge of coordination of school operations going forward, a role that saw him draft a new timetable, which he placed in the staffroom on Friday evening.

In the timetable that takes effect tomorrow, I am expected to be in class almost throughout the day, every day.

Yesterday, I wrote an SMS to Kuya telling him to forget about it. I reminded him that he needed to appraise himself with the duties of a Deputy HM before he assigns me any duties.

“You are only a deputy in name, but operationally, I am the deputy,” he responded via text.  I have competed with Kuya before, but never has he answered me so directly. What gives him such boldness? It is clear they are luring me to make some mistakes so they can initiate my demotion on account of sabotage.  Too bad, neither will I get into an altercation with Kuya or Bensouda, nor will I attend the multiple lessons that have been assigned to me.