Media Intervention Forces Aga Khan High School to Refund Frustrated Parent Sh39K

Justice was served to a frustrated parent who was bound to lose his hard-earned money after management of Aga Khan High School, Mombasa delayed in refunding him some money.

Simon Mweu was in tussle with the school management since October 2021 when he transferred his daughter from this school and was promised he would get back Sh39, 840 he paid as excess fees.

Once he cleared with the school, they started frustrating him.

“I was paying fees for my daughter. I paid more that I was supposed to. I asked for a refund and they promised to process it but since late October 2021, I have tried to get my money back without success,” Mweu told The Nairobian recently.

He wrote several emails to them begging his money back but it was unsuccessful.

The parent was frustrated that he almost gave up.

The management told him that only one signatory had approved the cheque but they were waiting for the other to authorise it.

After 16 months struggling to claim his money back, Mweu decided to go public and surprisingly the school yielded and refunded him within 14 days.

Media mounted pressure on the head of school Mary Stella Chitechi who for months ignored calls from Mweu.

“They processed my money promptly after I exposed them in the press” Mweu said.

Many Kenyans have suffered quietly in the hands of people in authority not knowing the power of media to get justice.

Aga Khan has schools across South and Central Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

Head of school Mary Stella Chitechi.

In Kenya, they have branches in Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu and Eldoret.

High school students pay fees of between Sh44, 560 and Sh54, 260 per term.