The ownership of a multi-million school in Nakuru has been drawn into a court battle where the institution’s principal is challenging his alleged unlawful dismissal.
The dispute which spilled into the Nakuru Employment and labour relations court is now centred on the proprietorship of United Methodist Mission School situated at Lanet area in the outskirts of Nakuru town. The school is run by the United Methodist Church.
A Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) leader and member of the church Diane Hamrick claims that the mission school was started and is owned by the Partners in Child and Family Support, an international NGO with a branch in Kenya.
The American-born benefactor told the court that the NGO sourced funds from its branch in the United Kingdom to start the school so as to benefit the community.
She averred in court files that she has been running the school since its inception and that the church only participated in the school board. An accountant of the NGO, Ephantus Waweru, who testified in the hearing of the case yesterday told the court that the NGO was the rightful owner of the school which he said was started by Hamrick as a volunteer.
However, while testifying in court, the church’s lead Bishop Daniel Wandawe, a Burundian, told the court that he was shocked that Hamrick was attempting to snatch the school from them. He insisted that the school is run and managed by the church and sought to dismiss allegations that Hamrick was the manager of the institution.
According to the Bishop, Hamrick only helped the church get resources to start the church-ran school.
In the case, Joseph Gidraf Wanjala sued the school and Hamrick alleging to have been sacked from his post as the principal of the school unlawfully.
He claimed that his services were unfairly terminated by the employer and sought to have the court compel his reinstatement.
In a twist of events, Bishop Wandawe shocked the court when he stated that Wanjala was still the principal of the institution and had not been sacked by the school management.
Hamrick who claims to be the manager of the school allegedly sacked Wanjala last year after differences over the running of the school arose.
The court directed that the case be heard on July 30.