Sipili School for the Deaf seeks Ksh 600,000 refund as bus deal collapses

 

Sipili School for the Deaf in Laikipia

The Board of Management (BOM) of Sipili School for the Deaf in Laikipia is seeking assistance to recover funds paid to Thika Motor Dealers for a failed bus purchase that has left the school without critical transportation for 15 years.

Samuel Kimani Mbogo, Chairman of the school’s BOM, explained that the school had partnered with parents and a Canadian donor to raise Ksh 1.4 million toward the purchase of a 52-seater bus.

The total cost of the bus was estimated at Ksh 4 million, with the donor’s involvement expected to help secure the remaining Ksh 2.6 million. However, the donor suddenly left the country, derailing the plan.

Following the setback, the BOM requested a refund from the motor vehicle dealer.

After 10 years of negotiations, they managed to recover Ksh 800,000. However, for the past five years, they have been unable to retrieve the remaining Ksh 600,000.

“We have been trying for over a decade to get our money back. While we did recover some of it, Ksh 600,000 is still outstanding,” Mbogo said.

To help raise the funds initially, the students even participated in a 20 km walk from Nanyuki to Sipili.

Despite these efforts, the school still lacks a bus, limiting the students’ ability to attend educational trips and sporting events.

“The absence of a bus has been a major obstacle for us,” Mbogo continued. “But we remain hopeful and appeal to well-wishers to help us acquire a bus for the 80 students currently enrolled.”

Beyond transportation challenges, Sipili School for the Deaf is also grappling with staffing shortages.

Jane Kamau, another BOM member, revealed that the school’s Junior Secondary School (JSS) class is without a teacher qualified in sign language.

With another class advancing to Grade Nine next year, she urged the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to post specialized teachers to the school.

“Sign language proficiency is essential for our students’ education,” Kamau said.

She also called on parents to learn sign language to better communicate with their deaf children, noting that many children feel isolated at home, in churches, and in public spaces like hospitals due to communication barriers.

Kamau emphasized the importance of active parental involvement, especially with the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), in supporting special needs education.

Esther Gathoni Ndung’u, another BOM member and chairperson of the JSS class, criticized the government’s funding model, which allocates resources based on student numbers.

She argued that this approach unfairly disadvantages special schools like Sipili, which have smaller enrollments.

“The current funding model doesn’t provide enough support for special schools,” Gathoni said. “We urge the government to introduce a funding system that addresses the unique needs of institutions like ours.”

The board members expressed their gratitude to the Nyahururu Catholic Diocese and the surrounding community for their ongoing support, particularly through food donations.

They also made a fresh appeal to well-wishers to continue assisting the school, which serves children from across counties including Samburu and Nairobi.

By Lydia Mwangi