NG-CDF denies role in controversial Mandera South school project
The case was lodged by a group of residents from Kotulo sub-county, who accuse their MP, Haro Abdul Ebrahim, of unilaterally setting up Gode Secondary just a few metres away from Borehole Eleven Mixed Secondary School, a neglected institution in dire need of repair.
The National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF) Board has disowned any involvement in the construction of a new secondary school in Mandera South, distancing itself from accusations of misuse of public funds.
In documents filed in court, acting field operations manager Christine Nadzua Mwangolo said the Board never received a proposal to fund the establishment of Gode Secondary School. She stressed that no approvals were sought and no money was disbursed for the project.
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The case was lodged by a group of residents from Kotulo sub-county, who accuse their MP, Haro Abdul Ebrahim, of unilaterally setting up Gode Secondary just a few metres away from Borehole Eleven Mixed Secondary School, a neglected institution in dire need of repair.
Following the petition, Justice John Onyiego issued conservatory orders halting the works on August 28, 2025. On Friday, he directed the OCS Kotulo Police Station to enforce compliance, warning the legislator against defying the court.
The NG-CDF told the court that linking it to the project was misleading, as the MP never presented the required identification, proposal or approval documents.
"No funding has been approved or released for any project at Gode Secondary School," Mwangolo stated, adding that projects outside the NG-CDF legal framework cannot be deemed public undertakings.
Residents, through lawyer Pauline Kiteng'e, argued that instead of diverting resources to a new institution, priority should have been given to rehabilitating Borehole Eleven Mixed Secondary, which urgently requires dormitories, toilets and classroom renovations.
The Board has since asked the High Court to strike out the suit against it, insisting that it is being wrongfully dragged into the dispute.
In his defence, MP Haro maintained that the project was not funded through NG-CDF but was initiated through community fundraisers. He explained that locals in the Gode location came together in a harambee drive to construct initial classrooms, after years of neglect by past leaders.
He further argued that Gode Secondary, located about eight kilometres from Borehole Eleven Mixed, was established to meet the schooling needs of children from neighbouring settlements such as Gesrebki, Woda and Falama, some of which are over 15 kilometres away from the existing school.
"The decision was based on a needs assessment and projected student population growth. It was not meant to undermine Borehole school but to enhance access to education in the area," Ebrahim stated in his affidavit.
The MP dismissed claims that he had sidestepped public participation, insisting that the new school complements the government's duty to progressively realise the constitutional right to education.
The matter will be heard on September 23, 2025, with the conservatory orders against the MP remaining in force until then.
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