- He takes over from Andrew Buop who is proceeding on a diplomatic mission abroad.
- Secondary school heads have praised the government for promoting one of their own to the diplomatic assignment.
Ex-Baringo national school chief principal Peter Otieno has been moved to Maseno School in Kisumu.
He takes over from Andrew Buop who is proceeding on a diplomatic mission abroad.
Buop, who has been promoted to the position of deputy director, is headed to the United States as an education attaché for four years.
He was Homa Bay High School principal before replacing the long-serving Maseno School principal Paul Otula in 2017.
Otieno, who is an alumni of Mangu School, took over officially during a handing over ceremony on Tuesday.
He said his duty is to work closely with all stakeholders to improve the education standards of the school in the country.
“I am very happy to be here and it is all about the well-being being and education of the students. It requires a collective responsibility from parents, teachers, students and leaders for us to succeed.”
The chief principal said his focus will be to give the students the best and nurture future leaders as required.
Secondary school heads have praised the government for promoting one of their own to the diplomatic assignment.
Led by chairman Caspal Maina, they said the promotion of Buop was a great honour to the teaching fraternity.
Maina, who is also the chief principal of Nairobi school, said more educationists should be appointed to top positions in the government.
Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha said Buop is one of the education managers who have dedicated a lot of time and energy to the advancement of education in the country.
Magoha said a number of chief principals have either been appointed to positions in government or the diplomatic corps.
“We are still looking around if we can still find more to appoint even though education officers will quarrel me. We will not hesitate to promote deserving people, “he said.
Buop lauded the members of the forum for the support they have accorded him for the entire period he has been with them.
“I will be in the United States on a four-year contract,” he said.
Buop joined Maseno School in 2017 when former principal Paul Otula was sent on compulsory leave over negligence after reports emerged that junior students were being molested.
Former Alliance High School chief principal Christopher Khaemba is among educationists who have risen to top ranks.
He went on to become the inaugural dean of the African Leadership Academy in South Africa.
Khaemba also served as an education advisor in the Office of the Prime Minister from 2012 to 2013.
Between 2013 and 2015, Khaemba served as Education executive in Nairobi county before being appointed to the Urban Planning and Lands docket in 2016.
In 2015, he went on to establish Nova Pioneer alongside a team of scholars.
Simon Nabukwesi, who is currently the Principal Secretary State Department for University Education and Research, has had a stellar career in the teaching profession from 1989 to 2000.
He was the former principal at Friends School Kamusinga in Bungoma county.
He later undertook diplomatic duties, serving as Kenya's High Commissioner to Canada and the country's envoy to Cuba.
His eleven years of service as a diplomat led to Nabukwesi becoming the Commonwealth directorate in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In February 2020, he was appointed as the PS in the Ministry of Education by President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Cleophas Tirop is synonymous with transforming Kapsabet Boys into an academic powerhouse.
He later served as Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association boss before being selected as Nairobi School principal in 2010.
Due to his academic success, Tirop was appointed as a commissioner of the Teachers Service Commission. He later retired after two years at the commission.
University don Prof Laban Ayiro rose to become a renowned scholar and is currently the Vice Chancellor at Daystar University.
Before joining Daystar, Prof Ayiro was the acting VC, Moi University.
He is a former principal of several high schools including Sunshine Secondary School in Nairobi, as well as Lubinu Boys High School in Mumias East.
Another notable teacher who rose through the ranks is Daniel Karaba who served as Kirinyaga county senator from 2013 to 2017 after clinching the seat on The National Alliance ticket.
He served initially served as a deputy principal and later a principal in various schools in Kenya, including Kagumo High School, Highway Secondary School, Kianyaga High School, Kirimara High School, Njegas Secondary School.
(edited by Amol Awuor)