For former students of Musingu High School and Kakamega High School, the word 'torch' evokes memories of a no-nonsense man with a penetrating gaze.
His razor-sharp eyes would send chills down the spines of unruly students, sending them scampering to class in fear.
The name 'torch' was coined as a moniker to describe the strict disciplinarian and academician that was Epainito Gaylord Avedi.
Many years later, his former students attest that the firm hand of Avedi forged them into upright students with a wealth of knowledge and skills to contribute to Kenya's development.
“He understood that my mother's chang'aa brewery would not afford me a pair of shoes, so he allowed me to attend school barefoot,” former Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale says.
Avedi – who succumbed to cancer on 21 January – was until 2017 the chief of staff of former Vihiga Governor Moses Akaranga.
However, it is his contribution to the education sector as a dispenser of knowledge that stands out in his list of achievements as a public servant.
A man who had excelled in his education, Avedi was keen to see that students who passed through his hands reaped the benefits of education as he had done.
This was evident in his enthusiastic involvement in numerous educational initiatives and institutions in the Western region and beyond.
Besides serving as principal of Musingu and Kakamega high schools, Avedi was a founder member of Starehe Girls Centre and the chairperson of the board of management of several schools, including St Clare Maragoli Girls, Mudavadi Girls High School and Western College of Science and Technology.
His fire for education kept burning even as he shifted from the classroom to administrative positions, including serving as the deputy director and deputy secretary in the ministry of education.
Feeling that his leadership skills would be suited to a higher position, former President Daniel Arap Moi appointed Avedi as the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Cooperative Development in 1991.
Closer to home, Avedi immersed himself in various community activities in his home county of Vihiga.
A believer in spiritual nourishment as the starting point for individual and communal prosperity, Avedi helped raise funds to construct churches at Kiginga, Mutembe and Mbaya, among others.
A medal of the Elder of the Burning Spear (EBS) is testament to the selfless service that Gaylord Avedi offered to his county and country.
On first thought, his demise may seem a loss to everyone who has interacted with him.
However, the ideals he imprinted in the lives of many people remains indelible and on this account, his demise warrants a celebration and appreciation of Avedi as God's gift to the country.
Epainito Gaylord Avedi – who was laid to rest on 1 February 2020 at his home in Mutsulyu village in Vihiga – is survived by a wife, Zubeda Avedi, and several children.
