Tuwan Secondary School in Trans Nzoia County is set for significant institutional growth as P.A.G Kenya takes over its sponsorship following a courtesy visit by the senior church leaders.
The visit brought together Church officials, the school administration and the Board of Management to outline priority areas of collaboration, including infrastructure development, student welfare, values-based education and governance support.
Speaking during the visit, P.A.G Kenya General Superintendent Dr Keneth Adiara said the Church’s involvement would be structured, sustained and anchored on moral responsibility. He noted that faith-based sponsorship goes beyond ceremonial oversight to include accountability, learner welfare and character formation.
“This sponsorship is not symbolic,” Dr Adiara said. “When the Church comes into a school, it accepts responsibility not only for infrastructure and policy, but also for the moral and social direction of the learners entrusted to that institution.”
The engagement comes as the school positions itself for closer collaboration with the Education Department in 2026, at a time when public secondary schools are under increasing pressure to improve academic outcomes, discipline and learning conditions. Education stakeholders present said the visit marked a shift from informal association to a structured faith-based partnership with defined responsibilities.
The school’s leadership under Chief Principal Margaret Koinange was cited as a key factor in attracting the sponsorship. Board members and Church officials said the school has demonstrated stability, improved discipline and clearer administrative systems under her stewardship.
“The school has shown order, focus and commitment to learning,” Dr Adiara said. “That kind of leadership creates the right environment for partnership and long-term investment.”
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Stakeholders noted that consistent leadership has helped restore confidence among parents and the surrounding community, positioning the school for external support. Board members said improved administrative order and adherence to policy had laid a foundation for growth.
In his address, Dr Adiara emphasised that academic performance alone was insufficient without moral grounding. He said the Church’s sponsorship of Tuwan Secondary School would prioritise holistic education, integrating intellectual development with character formation.
“Our goal is to produce learners who are academically capable, morally upright and socially responsible,” he said. “Knowledge without values is dangerous, and education without conscience weakens society.”
He noted that many learners face complex social challenges, including poverty, family instability, substance abuse, peer pressure and mental health concerns. According to him, these realities require support systems that go beyond classroom instruction.
“Schools are no longer just centres of instruction,” Dr Adiara said. “They are spaces where young people seek guidance, stability and hope. That is why chaplaincy, mentorship and counselling must be strengthened.”
On student welfare, Dr Adiara said the Church would prioritise structured support for vulnerable learners, describing it as a moral obligation.
“We cannot preach hope and ignore hardship,” he said. “Supporting needy students through bursaries, uniforms, learning materials and welfare programmes is part of our responsibility.”
He said the Church would work closely with the school administration and the Board of Management to identify learners in need and establish transparent mechanisms to support them, with the aim of reducing dropouts and improving retention.
Infrastructure development was also identified as a priority. Dr Adiara said P.A.G Kenya would support a phased improvement of school facilities, subject to resource mobilisation and stakeholder cooperation.
“Dignity in learning environments matters,” he said. “Safe classrooms, clean sanitation facilities and decent boarding spaces are not luxuries. They reflect how seriously we take the future of our children.”
He said infrastructure upgrades would be implemented gradually but consistently, noting that decent facilities contribute to discipline, safety and improved learning outcomes.
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Bishop Samwel Nyatera, who also addressed the gathering, focused on the moral challenges confronting young people and the role of faith-based schools in responding to them. He cited rising cases of indiscipline, substance abuse and erosion of values among learners.
“Our society is facing a crisis of values,” Bishop Nyatera said. “Church-sponsored schools must become centres of discipline, truth and moral clarity.”
He warned that academic success without integrity could have negative consequences for society.
“Education that sharpens the mind but neglects character produces dangerous outcomes,” he said. “Honesty, responsibility, respect and service must be taught deliberately.”
Addressing teachers, Bishop Nyatera said educators play a central role in shaping learner behaviour.
“Teachers shape destiny quietly,” he said. “Your consistency, fairness and personal conduct often speak louder than your lessons.”
He urged students to embrace discipline, humility and perseverance, saying long-term success depends as much on values as on examination results.
“Talent without discipline goes nowhere,” he said.
Bishop Meshach Buraje addressed the importance of partnership and governance, saying effective faith-based sponsorship depends on cooperation among parents, teachers, boards of management, Church leadership and government authorities.
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“The Church does not come to control schools,” Bishop Buraje said. “We come to walk with parents, teachers, boards and government institutions in pursuit of shared goals.”
He said collaboration improves accountability and reduces conflict, particularly in areas such as discipline management, resource use and student welfare.
“When stakeholders work together, institutions become stable,” he said. “When they work in isolation, progress becomes fragile.”
Bishop Buraje also highlighted the role of prayer and spiritual guidance in sustaining institutions during periods of transition.
“Policies and programmes are important, but without spiritual grounding, they struggle to endure,” he said.
Church leaders outlined areas where the sponsorship would translate into action, including infrastructure improvement, strengthened chaplaincy services, mentorship and counselling programmes, academic motivation initiatives and career guidance aimed at exposing learners to positive role models.
They said the Church would maintain regular engagement with the school rather than one-off visits. Accountability frameworks, including structured communication with the Board of Management and school leadership, were outlined as part of the sponsorship model.
Board of Management chairman Alphonse Maliambo welcomed the Church’s involvement, describing it as timely.
“This sponsorship comes at the right moment,” Mr Maliambo said. “The school has made progress, and faith-based support will strengthen continuity, discipline and moral direction.”
He urged parents to work closely with the school, noting that parental involvement remains a key factor in discipline and academic success.
“A school cannot succeed without the support of parents,” he said.
He also encouraged teachers to remain committed to their professional responsibilities and students to remain focused on their studies.
By Hillary Muhalya
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