The Mombasa Municipal Education Office has announced that it will take stern measures against headteachers or managers of schools found defying the holiday tuition ban.

Education officer Francis Tsuma said on Wednesday that his office would not condone any breach of the ministerial directive.

He was speaking at the council's stand during the first day of the Public Service Week at Municipal Stadium.

"Let every headteacher or manager of a school conducting holiday tuition do it at his or her own peril," he said.

He warned that those contravening the directive would "go home", saying there would be no compromise and their schools would be deregistered.

The municipal education officer said headteachers leasing public facilities to private users without the knowledge and permission of his office would be interdicted and punished.

He said his officers were going round to ensure that Government policies were adhered to and implemented to the letter.

"It has come to our notice that there are public schools leasing their facilities to private users to conduct tuition contrary to Teachers Service Commission's legal notice No 137 (2003)."

Mr Tsuma said his office had released a circular to 96 public and 445 private schools within the municipality over the issue.

The circular is copied to ministry headquarters, Coast provincial director of education and the town clerk.

At the Ministry of State for Immigration and Registration of Persons' stand, the provincial civil registrar, Mr Samuel Lukanu called on coastal people to register births and deaths.

"We receive very little statistics of births and deaths in the province because many people do not understand its importance," he said.