As I was set to sit and write this 24th treatise about the new education dispensation, of Competency-Based Education (CBE), I took a mental flight back to my recent village chronicles in 2025. At some point last year, I traveled to Anyiko Village in Gem, Yala, Siaya County. For this is where I was born and brought up. After meeting and interacting with my kinsmen, I decided to take a trek to the hallowed ground of learning where it all started — Anyiko Primary School on Yala-Butere Road.
Right at the gate, I took note of a certain change. Being a penman fascinated by the written word, I took note of the nuance in school’s nomenclature — naming system. In new education dispensation, CBE, and of impressive implementation of CBC, the name of my alma mater does matter. It has evolved to Anyiko Comprehensive School in line with the recommendation of the report on Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms (2023).
Meaning, my old Primary School has three wings within the same school, namely: Pre-Primary (PP1 and PP2), Primary (Grades 1 to 6) and Junior School (Grades 7 to 9). Education policy spells out that it should have one Head of Institution (HoI), assisted by two Deputy Heads of Institution (DHoIs): One in charge of Pre-Primary and Primary, and the other one steering Junior School.
Now, in 2026, onwards, my other dear alma matter — Nyamninia Secondary School — on Kisumu-Busia Road — is set to admit Grade 10 learners as the pioneers of CBE. Its appellation will evolve to Nyamninia Senior School. Some schools have done it. In subtle sense, the beautiful writings — at the elegant gate, comely compound — and state-of-the-art administration blocks — feature as part and parcel of re-branding in Senior Schools.
Actually, branding is a common phenomenon in the corporate sector. Blue-chip companies such as Safaricom are keen on branding and re-branding. For being the best brand is what makes them entice more clients to purchase their products and savour their services. Hence: they make more moolah. More money means plenty of profits. Therefore, schools may not be companies per se, but HoIs must think about the strength of their brands. For it is what can augment enrollment. A strategic HoI aware of the economies of Scale connected to several students, know what I am trying to hint at in this writ.
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So, what is branding? It is re-invention. It is marketing products, services and organisations or companies or institutions. It is what makes something unique. It is how people package products and themselves. It is the sure mark of identity. In a heroic book titled The Midas Touch, the co-authors – President Donald Trump and Robert Kiyosaki write about how the five human fingers are deeply symbolic.
For instance, the thumb stands for strength of character and emotional maturity. The index finger is FOCUS — Follow One Course Until Successful. The middle finger is the brand: the things you stand for. The ring finger stands for relationships. Then, the small finger stands for little things that count.
Actually, a strong brand has several properties worth writing about. Foremost, there is the brand promise, which are tangible benefits making a product or service desirable. Secondly, there is the brand identity, which is the authenticity of a product or service. Thirdly, there is the brand value, which is the worth attached to a product or service. Then, when building brands with brilliance, four quality questions must stick out: Why do we do what we do? Which problems do we want to solve in this wide old world? Who are our potential clients? Who are our possible competitors in this great agora?
Additionally, there is brand credibility, which is the trust people attach to a product or service. Consequently, there is the brand proposition, which is the statement that summarises “the what” and “the why” you do it. Furthermore, we have brand packaging, which entails what people see on face value. We also have the brand features, which include: Focus, character and consistency. Then, there is the brand price, which is the cost of the product or service. In the great debate about brand properties, we have brand legacy, somewhat, the aspects that remain immortal. Making an institution become iconic. For instance, companies such as Johnson and Johnson that Jim Collins decided to allude to in his heroic book titled Built to Last. Or like the first schools established in Kenya that we all desire to take our children to.
Therefore, schools conscious of the power of the brand should focus on guarding their good name and fame built over time. For in Proverbs 22:1, the wise man ideates that a good name is better than riches. No wonder, every school must strive to maintain a good name by rising to the acme of the game, working well with the community, involvement in community service, knowing how to handle meddlesome stakeholders, knowing how to handle detractors, and containing students without bad history of spate of strikes and unrests.
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Then, there is the essence of focusing on nonpareil performance in KCSE for the remaining years (2025-2027). Peerless performance focuses on academic discipline among students, academic culture, practices and programmes, positive deviations in KCSE, number of quality grades in KCSE, meeting recognition targets, and upholding exam integrity.
Moreover, every school should have an attractive physical image, which includes: an elegant gate, ultra-modern administration block, standard buildings, well-maintained playfields, proper landscaping, clean, kempt and salubrious compound, proper labeling of places, and a creative speaking compound. In this technological age, there is the exigent need for strong online presence: Updating the school website, You Tube channel, TikTok account, Facebook page and sensitivity in WhatsApp groups. While building brands with brilliance, schools can have branded items: Stationery (books and pens), furniture, buildings, uniforms, means of transport, utensils, et cetera. Excellent customer service by staff, security guards at the gate, school receptionists and secretaries; also say a lot about the brand of a school.
More importantly, the re-branding in the administration should be well-thought-out. At the front-door office, every administration block should have a display of the school banner with the: School motto, 6 core values or culture-principles, mission and vision statement. There should be the two banners: School banner and Form Four banner. The following boards should be displayed: School charter (both in English and Kiswahili), KCSE performance for the last 10 years (2015-2025), board of Principals’ of the school since its provenance. There should be the board of BoM and PA Chairpersons since school’s inception. There should be the board of KCSE valedictorians: Grades they scored and universities they matriculated into. Then, it is important to have a board of the school’s overall captains.
Finally, just to conclude where I started it. As secondary schools evolve to Senior Schools (C1 to C4), HoIs should ensure that they begin re-branding the schools right from the gate. Instead of Nyamninia Secondary School, we will now have Nyamninia Senior School. Schools with Career Wheels in the compound, will have to upgrade. Haply, they can set up a Career Wheel guiding learners on how they can land in their dream careers based on the 3 Career Pathways to be offered in Senior Schools, which includes: Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), Social Sciences, and Arts and Sports Science.
By Victor Ochieng’
Victor Ochieng is a writer-cum-educator. He assists schools to re-brand. For such services, contact: vochieng.90@gmail.com. 0704420232
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