Church reclaims its schools but ministry mum

By Moses Njagih

Reverend Evanson Ndung’u looks at the numerous correspondences he has written to the Ministry of Education with a sense of bitterness.

Perusing one after the other, the archbishop and the spiritual leader of the African Independent Pentecostal Church of Africa (AIPCA) pushes away the huge file before leaning back on his seat. He is a disappointed man, but certainly not one ready to give up a fight.

“This is a battle that I promised to wage to the bitter end when I took over the leadership of this church. I have written a number of letters and talked to some people in authority and though we are not getting quick responses we will continue to pursue it,” the Rev Ndung’u says, tapping the table to display a sense of determination.

The church has been engaged in a battle with the Government over schools which it had established before independence, but which were taken over by the colonial government at the height of the freedom struggle.

Taken over

The church, which had strong links with the Mau Mau, had started their own independent schools, protesting the education system that was then offered by the white missionaries.

Under the banner of Kikuyu Independent Schools Association (KISA), AIPCA started institutions in many parts of the country, especially within Central Kenya region where it was deeply rooted.

“The church felt that the education being pushed through Africans by white missionaries was also eroding the rich African culture and values. This was against the wishes of the Church that wanted to develop an educated community that was proud of its background and customs,” says the archbishop.

By 1949 the church had established 590 Independent Schools and also a teachers training college in Githunguri which was preparing teachers for a KISA curriculum.

But the high tempo was to suffer in 1952 when the colonial Government declared a state of emergency and banned Mau Mau.

The church, which acted as Mau Mau’s spiritual institution by day and organising night meetings for the rag-tag army against the colonial rule at night, was proscribed and many of its structures, especially churches, razed down.

It was then that the colonial Government took over the church’s schools and distributed them for management by other mainstream churches that it felt were pro-colonialism.

The Church’s national treasurer David Ndiang’ui Wambugu says losing the institutions was a blow that hurts ever so deeply.

“It was very painful then watching institutions that church members had struggled to put up destroyed and others taken over and given to other churches for their management. It is even more painful to see these schools under the sponsorship of these churches even after independence,” says Ndiang’ui.

Dominance in central

Ndiang’ui says that among the churches that were given the management of these schools were Catholic, Anglican and Presbyterian churches, which were gaining dominance in Central Kenya.

According to the demand letters that the church has sent to the ministry demanding that the schools be handed over back to the institution for sponsorship, they are claiming back 393 schools, 304 of which are currently being run independently by District Education Boards.

They claim that the Catholic Church sponsors 31 other schools, ACK 29, PCEA 15, while the rest are under other denominations.

Nyeri County has the bulk of these schools with 142 institutions, Kirinyaga 55, the larger Meru with 66. Others are Thika (45), Murang’a (41), Kiambu (20), Embu (15), Eldoret (5) and Nakuru (4).

The church’s chancellor, Wahome Gikonyo, says that their demand for the schools is in line with the specifications of the Education Act, which requires that spiritual institutions that established schools be considered as sponsors of such institution.

Gikonyo, an advocate of the High Court who is based in Nyeri says that the church has suffered injustices as it cannot stamp its authority on the management of these schools despite it being the establishing authority.

AIPCA role

“The Church has been fighting to get back these schools since independence to no avail, but we will not relent on this. It is an injustice that is there for everyone to see and one that we are demanding must be corrected,” says Gikonyo.

Archbishop Ndung’u says while they appreciate that much development has been undertaken on these schools, it is only fair for the Government to consider AIPCA role in their establishment. “We are not demanding ownership of these schools. All we are asking for is the sponsorship of schools held by DEB and co-sponsorship of those held by other churches,” he says.

Late last year the matter of these schools came before Parliament with Tetu legislator Mr FT Nyammo demanding to know from the Ministry of Education when the schools would be handed over to AIPCA.

It was then that the ministry instructed the church to officially write to it formally asking for the schools.

“We have done a letter since then but, like has been the case with many others that we have done before, no one has responded to it,” says Ndung’u.