Five years ago, when Mr Parmale Kuluo was posted to Nkareta Secondary School in Kajiado County, he inherited a struggling institution with just 151 students. Today, enrolment has surged past 1,000.
But for the veteran chemistry teacher, growing numbers are no longer the greatest challenge. Instead, he spends sleepless nights thinking about student safety, mental health, social media, parental expectations and the possibility that a single spark of unrest could undo years of hard work.
The fear intensified after the tragic fire at Utumishi Academy that claimed the lives of 16 learners, becoming the latest reminder that the role of a principal has fundamentally changed.
“As principals, we have gone through [a lot], especially after what happened at Utumishi Academy,” Mr Kuluo told colleagues during the 49th Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (Kessha) annual conference in Mombasa.
“I asked myself what I could do differently with such a large student population. We organised prayer sessions, not just for worship but as a platform for communicating with our students,” he revealed.
His story mirrors that of thousands of principals across Kenya who are navigating one of the most turbulent periods in the country’s education history.
Today’s school heads are no longer simply administrators responsible for examinations and discipline. They have become counsellors, crisis managers, financial controllers, public relations officers, digital communicators and guardians of learner well-being.
They are implementing the Competency-Based Education (CBE) curriculum amid delayed capitation, rising inflation, teacher shortages, increasing parental scrutiny and an assertive generation of learners who increasingly understand and demand their rights.
For many principals, leadership has never been more complex.
Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development CEO Charles Ong’ondo.
Photo credit: File | Nation
Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development Chief Executive Officer Charles Ong’ondo explained how principals should handle CBE learners.
Prof Ong’ondo, who taught for 15 years before joining curriculum development, recalled meeting a Grade 10 learner at Ogande Girls High School who walked into the principal’s office seeking to have her father called because she had an important matter to discuss with him.
“The principal told the learner, ‘You are now in senior school, not primary school, where you simply wake up and ask us to call your parents.’ But the girl corrected her. She said, ‘I came from junior school, not primary school. We were taught that parents should be actively involved in our education. I have an important issue I want to discuss with my father. You are the principal of the school, so whose phone should I use?’."
He added, “That is the kind of learner we have brought to you through CBE. When learners express themselves and engage respectfully, they are not being rude or disrespectful. They are empowered. As long as they are not infringing on anyone’s rights, these are children we must listen to, guide and nurture.”
The incident, he said, demonstrates how CBE is changing not only classrooms but also relationships between learners and school authorities.
Prof Ong’ondo urged principals to embrace CBE as an opportunity to reduce the intense academic pressure that has long defined Kenya’s examination-oriented education system. Instead of judging learners solely by mean scores, he challenged school heads to nurture individual talents and guide students towards career pathways that match their strengths.
“For the first time, CBE will reduce the pressure you have lived with for years. I know you are implementing it while still carrying the burden of the 8-4-4 system and the obsession with mean scores. But if 100 out of your 120 learners choose History because that is where their passion lies, let them pursue it. Your responsibility is to nurture every learner’s potential, not to force every child into the same mould,” he said.
The former teacher also encouraged principals to expand technical and vocational learning by offering subjects such as art and design, electricity, building and construction, arguing that many learners who struggle in traditional academic subjects would flourish if given practical alternatives.
Unlike the examination-driven 8-4-4 system, the new curriculum encourages dialogue, creativity, critical thinking and collaboration.
Mr Kuluo believes principals must abandon the notion that schools exist separately from the digital world.
“Our learners are on Facebook, WhatsApp, Telegram, YouTube and LinkedIn. Schools should have official platforms carrying the school flag and national anthem. We should communicate with learners there and also understand how they organise themselves. Let’s follow them where they are,” he said.
Telegram, Facebook messenger and WhatsApp applications logos displayed on the screen of an Apple iPhone.
Photo credit: Photo I Pool
Rather than viewing technology solely as a threat, he argues, principals should use it to build trust and strengthen communication.
He draws inspiration from international exchange programmes, including partnerships with schools in Sweden and Malaysia, where safety systems and learner engagement have evolved alongside technology.
“We must change how we do things, especially on discipline,” he said.
Yet, while principals are expected to innovate, they say they are doing so under enormous pressure.
Kessha National Chairman Willie Kuria said school heads have successfully steered one of the country’s biggest education reforms but continue to shoulder mounting responsibilities with inadequate support.
“As principals, we take pride in the role we have played in ensuring a smooth transition to CBE. But the education sector continues to face significant challenges that require urgent and collective attention,” he said.
The pressures have been compounded by a wave of student unrest and arson attacks that have seen the destruction of property worth millions of shillings and claimed 18 young lives.
“The wanton destruction of educational facilities, loss of valuable resources and, most tragically, the loss of young lives are matters of grave concern. Schools must remain safe havens for learning,” Mr Kuria said.
He argued that lasting solutions lie not in harsher punishment but in stronger dialogue, counselling and collaboration between schools, parents and communities.
Acting TSC Chief Executive Officer Eveleen Mitei (left) and Teachers Service Commission (TSC) Chairperson Jamleck Muturi during the signing of a pact between the TSC and teachers’ unions, KNUT, KUPPET and KUSNET on the new Career Progression Guidelines at the TSC headquarters in Upper Hill, Nairobi, on June 18, 2026.
Photo credit: Wilfred Nyangaresi | Nation Media Group
But Teachers Service Commission Chairman Jamleck Muturi believes unrest rarely comes without warning, challenging principals to become better listeners.
“[Strikes] are usually preceded by simmering grievances touching on food quality, discipline, bullying, academic pressure, teacher conduct or feelings of exclusion,” he said.
According to Dr Muturi, principals who remain accessible and resolve complaints fairly are less likely to experience violent unrest.
He urged schools to strengthen student councils, create effective grievance mechanisms, invest in guidance and counselling, involve parents more closely and expand sports and co-curricular activities.
“It takes a village to raise a child,” he said.
Beyond learner welfare, principals are also grappling with their own professional frustrations. Many remain in the same job group for years despite managing increasingly complex institutions. In Mr Kuria’s view, stagnation has become a major demoralising factor, particularly for principals serving in Grade D3.
“We believe educational institutions should remain protected spaces where decisions affecting teachers are guided by professionalism and the best interests of learners,” Mr Kuria said.
As the conference came to a close, the consensus among the more than 10,000 principals gathered in Mombasa was that their office had evolved.
