Stinky row as colleges fight over access to staff toilets
A dispute over toilets is threatening to widen the rift between two institutions that share a compound in Vihiga County.
Kaimosi Teachers Training College has accused Kaimosi Friends University College (Kafuco) of closing down all four staff toilets, “infringing on their universal basic right to relieve themselves”.
The matter came into the public gallery following a leaked letter to the university college’s principal, Prof Jack Nandi by TTC tutors.
The handwritten September 15 letter, titled “Complaint against Kaimosi Friends University College”, is signed by nine tutors.
WEIGHTIER MATTERS
On Sunday, Prof Nandi said it was unfortunate that the TTC was complaining about a toilet instead of engaging in weightier matters.
Dismissing the contents of the letter as untrue, the don termed the fight over toilets as shameful.
He took issue with the TTC principal, Mr Onzere Mudangale, for “failing to prevail over his staff”.
Prof Nandi asked: “How can the TTC principal allow his staff to write a complaint letter to me instead of him walking over to my office, which is in the same compound, to discuss the matter with me?
“I mean, this is shameful, that we are discussing a toilet through the media. How will people view us? That institutions of higher learning are fighting over a toilet instead of us discussing matters of great importance?”
UNDERLYING ISSUES
Saying the university college closed only two toilets for renovation, Prof Nandi claimed the issue was a pointer to major underlying issues.
The tutors wrote: “This is a complaint by Kaimosi TTC teaching staff on infringement of our universal basic right to relieve ourselves… Kafuco has closed our toilets. This has never happened world over. We, therefore, demand that those toilets be opened with immediate effect. Those toilets are our property until we (fully) relocate. Please comply.”
The letter was signed by nine employees.
Prof Nandi said the TTC was to fully move last year to allow the university college to take over the old institution, started in 1902. Half of the TTC has moved to a 70-acre piece of land three kilometres away.
Mr Mudangale confirmed that his juniors wrote the letter but noted the row started when he was away in Mombasa on an official trip.