Peter Mayoyo Shikutwa’s 35-year journey in the classroom comes to a close with a new assignment on the touchline. A lifelong Swahili teacher and sports educator, Mayoyo retires from teaching with a legacy that spans academics, character formation and competitive excellence, having mentored thousands of young Kenyans through sport.
Born in Eregi, Kakamega County, and raised in Kitale, Mayoyo’s story is anchored in the grit of school fields and dusty playgrounds. His sporting career began as a footballer, then branched into hockey and refereeing, before maturing into a coaching path that earned him the moniker “The Big Machine.”
Today, he is widely regarded as Kenya’s most successful living high school football coach, a status built on a stack of national titles across age groups and sustained dominance.
At St Anthony’s Boys School, Kitale, Mayoyo helped forge a culture where discipline, teamwork and respect carried weight equal to winning. That ethos translated into results: multiple county, national and FEASSA hockey crowns, alongside year-on-year football consistency that turned the school into a benchmark for excellence.
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His impact extended beyond school boundaries. As Kenya Under-16 head coach, Mayoyo led the team to the Copa Coca-Cola Championship in Durban, South Africa, and later represented the country at the ISF World Championship in China.
In 2023, he served as assistant coach of the Kenya Under-18 side during the CECAFA Championship in Kisumu, underscoring his role in national talent development.
Mayoyo is proud to have opened pathways for his players into the Kenyan Premier League and into professional ranks abroad, including Europe. The measure of his work is seen in careers launched and lives redirected, not just medals displayed.
Retirement from the classroom does not mark the final chapter. Recognizing his unmatched experience, St Anthony’s senior principal, Simon Masibo, has appointed Mayoyo as Head Coach, tasking him with restoring the school to national football prominence after two seasons off the big stage. It is both a homecoming and a fresh challenge for a coach who thrives on building systems and belief.
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As he steps aside from teaching, school sport pays tribute to more than a coach: a nation-builder who treated sport as a vehicle for values and growth.
For generations of students, Peter Mayoyo Shikutwa, “The Big Machine”, remains the mentor who believed, built and delivered.
By Philip Koech
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