Although I supported – but did not necessarily vote for – Wajackoyah the Fifth, if there is a candidate that I relate with a lot, that I have a lot in common with, it is Dr William Ruto, the President-Elect.
Before I go into details, allow me Sir, to, on behalf of myself, my family, and the teaching fraternity at large, convey hearty and well-deserved congratulations to you. Mr President-Elect, myself and many other teachers in Kenya look forward to many changes in the pedagogical sphere in the country; millions of Kenyans are also looking forward to a reset of the economic order of our country.
We believe so because you will be perhaps the first president who has gone through the normal problems Kenyans go through, the usual challenges all employees go through, and know what it means to be a nobody.
In fact, you and I have a lot in common. You have served as Deputy President for the last nine years, while I have also served as Deputy HM since 2012. Like you, I went through a lot as a deputy. While my initial years as the deputy to Bensouda were rosy, frustrations and suffering quickly set in, for no apparent reason.
Bensouda, the then HM, totally ignored me and started working with someone else, Kuya. In an opaque manner, all my responsibilities and duties were given to Kuya, and I became a figurehead at the school, not allowed to make any decision and do anything important. I remained a mere bystander.
Yet whenever things went wrong, I would be blamed. A very good example is KCPE performance. Despite Kuya being the academic master, and him making all the (mostly wrong) decisions regarding academics and, year in year out, the school posting terrible results, the blame continued to be placed squarely on me. This was despite all my suggestions being ignored. If you remember, in the early years when I was a deputy with powers, we were one of the best performing schools this side of the Sahara.
Mr President-Elect, like you, my boss, Bensouda, did everything to ensure that I did not succeed her as HM. She placed all manner of roadblocks ahead of me, worked closely with the TSC officials to ensure that my file had negative stories, most of which were lies.
As I underwent these tribulations, like you, I put God first. I served as a chief usher in Apostle Elkana’s Tabernacle. Against Bensouda’s wishes, I invited Apostle Elkana to the school to pray for us many times. Kuya and Bensouda kept saying that we should separate the church and school, but I did not see how we were to expect anything without putting God first.
Despite all the fighting and all the blocks that Bensouda put my way, despite all the suffering and the humiliation I underwent, when it was time for her to go, it is me that God chose to take this school to the next level, so much to her chagrin. As you can imagine, Bensouda vowed that I will only head this school over her dead body. If you remember, I had to forcefully take over.
Mr President-Elect, do not expect a smooth transition of power. Do what I did: grab power and set the country on a new path, just like I did. Change office locks if you must, change bank account numbers and/ or signatories.
I keenly listened to your speech on Monday after you were declared President-Elect. It was a great speech. I felt you when you talked about all the suffering and humiliation you and many people underwent under their bosses.
You then added that all the suffering, all the humiliation, all the frustrations people underwent would not be in vain. That was a great promise, Mr President-Elect; a promise that I look forward to you keeping.
As explained above, I am one of those who underwent immense suffering, untold humiliation, and was badly treated by my former boss. And I speak for the many deputies in schools and colleges, in government departments and parastatals. I also speak for the many of us in schools, universities, in government who have been in acting capacity for positions we are more than qualified for.
Do not let our suffering go in vain. Please confirm me as HM of this school and confirm all others in acting positions.
Later, Mr President-Elect, once you have settled, I will comprehensively write to you on what I think ails the education sector. But for now, there are just three things I would like you to look at.
The first one is delocalisation, which is used to punish teachers who do not talk nicely to TSC. I know this because to still be a teacher in Mwisho wa Lami, there is someone at TSC I take care of. Please scrap this animal called delocalisation with immediate effect.
The second is about CBC. I do not want to tell you to scrap it. Please form a commission of enquiry – a task force is not enough – to investigate it and make recommendations. Do not fill the commission with doctors and professors who speak English of the nose but do not know what happens kwa ground.
Please appoint teachers who live and practise pedagogy; who would be expected to implement whatever we come up with. I am available to serve one commission. Pro bono!
And finally, please scrap off the punitive and unclear scheme of service that torments teachers across the country. I wonder who came up with it. While at it, please allow our teacher unions back, so that teachers can, once again, be represented when decisions are being made.
Once again, congratulations, Mr President-Elect. There will be many appointments in the next few days. Do not forget me please; I am ready to serve in any position, any task force, any commission of inquiry, any board. I will not make any mathematical or statistical errors. I am waiting for your call, Mr President-Elect. But first get sworn in!
