Kaimenyi in the soup as court suspends closure of private schools
The High Court has suspended Education Cabinet Secretary Jacob Kaimenyi’s order for all private schools to be closed, just like their public counterparts, over the teachers’ strike.
Officials of Kenya Private Schools Association had on Monday sued Prof Kaimenyi over the directive to close all public and private schools.
The officials argued that Prof Kaimenyi’s order did not give reasons which concern private schools.
Judge Mumbi Ngugi said she is satisfied that suspending Prof Kaimenyi’s order with regard to private schools is in the interest of justice.
The court order will be advertised in the Daily Nation and The Standard newspapers.
In their court papers, the private schools had claimed that Prof Kaimenyi issued a circular on September 18 that indicated the closing date for third term is September 21. They claimed that the reasons given for the change of date from November 13 to September 21 did not concern private schools.
They therefore wanted the directive suspended
They claimed that teachers in private schools have private contracts with their employers and will still have to be paid whether schools close now or later.
They also claimed that parents will demand for a refund of school fees which may make them incur be irreparable losses.