Four long-serving workers at Nyabururu Girls’ National School in Kisii have protested against what they termed “malicious dismissal”.

Justin Rioba (38), Samuel Kerama (51), Kennedy Otwori (43) and Zephania Nyachae (35) are now seeking the intervention of Cabinet Secretaries George Magoha (Education) and Ukur Yatani (Labour).

The four workers were allegedly victimised following an infamous incident in the school earlier this year, in which the media covered an outbreak of diarrhoea among students after eating a bad  meal.

Talking to People Daily over the weekend in Kisii, the workers claimed they were maliciously accused of informing the media about the incident and responding to questions from public health officials about “rotten” cabbage that was served to the learners.

“Those of us who were cooks were also instructed not to say the truth to the board of management, parents and public health officers about the rotten cabbage that the children fed on before several of them were taken to hospital,” one of them said.

“When we failed to do so, the principal got angry and started blaming us for confessing that it was the rotten cabbage that caused the crisis and started intimidating us …” said another.

However, the principal Joyce Oriokih said the school no longer requires the services of the four workers. 

In the letters terminating the workers’ services, Oriokih says: “I’m officially communicating the decision of Nyabururu Girls’ National School Board of Management that the institution no longer requires your services.”