Parents protest seizure of school buses in Garissa

Seven school buses bought by former Garissa Governor Nathif Jama have been towed away by a bank over a debt, paralysing transportation of students in various secondary schools.

Mr Jama bought the buses in 2016 for boarding schools. They were being used to carry students during opening and closing days.

"We depended on the buses to transport our students to and from events and also during closing and opening of schools," Dertu Girls Secondary School head teacher Nur Aden said during a prize giving day on Sunday.

Speaking at the same function, Garissa Governor Ali Korane claimed the previous administration bought the buses at an exaggerated price, which has since instigated investigations by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC).

"EACC is investigating how the buses were bought. Because we know the cost was inflated so as to benefit the contractor. Fortunately, the debt owed to the bank is only Sh3 million," Mr Korane said.

The Governor also revealed that the buses are registered in the name of the company that handled the contract.

"We will discuss with the bank to ensure the buses are returned to their respective schools as soon as possible," he added.

The beneficiaries were girls schools Dertu, Haji Idriss, Yathrib, Saka, Fafi and Hulugho Secondary.