The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) Deputy Governor Susan Koech has not tired of visiting Suwerwa Boys’ High School in Cherangany, Trans Nzoia County, since she left some years ago to come and inspire, regardless of their remote backgrounds.
Even after the split of the mixed school to open the adjacent girls-only and autonomous institution, the CBK deputy boss has not discriminated against boys’ schools to ensure fair academic performance with other schools countrywide, being instrumental in the mentorship of the students on discipline and academic performance that is related to the current job market.
The principal, Thomas Kibiwott, recalls her last exhortation to the over 700 students: “Success comes through hard work, determination and dedication to academics, no matter the background you come from. Education is a great equaliser”.
Koech is not alone in the quest to inspire the education of the boys at Suwerwa. Still, she is joined by the chairperson of the BoM, Emerintiana Shibunji, who last year presided over the historic launch of the school’s five-year Strategic Plan (SP) 2024-2028, aimed at raising the institution’s standards to national status.
A career educationist and scholar, Shibunji say the SP is only the anchor that can attract financial support from sponsors, the Ministry of Education, as well as partners.
The SP reads in part: “To plan apart from ensuring curriculum delivery and the management of the school will equip the students with the necessary skills relevant to the needs of competition on both the local and global market.”
Also in the line-up of the women who chosen to prepare the Suwerwa Boys for the bright future is the PTA Chairperson Constance Osore who on her part says the increase of number of students from 300 to 700, the expansion of accommodation facilities and the proposed building of six streams was an indication potential growth of the boys education.
The principal of Kapcherop Girls’ Secondary, Rosemary Kipkorir, former MP Joshua Kuttuny, and Eng. Eluis Cheboi of the Elgeiyo Marakwet county government are another alumnae whose contributions have led to the 53-year-old institution being promoted to county status.
And a former principal, Alex Cheruiyot, now a director with the TSC in Nairobi, is remembered for presiding over the transition of the school from a mixed institution in 2014 to a boys’ school.
The alumna, together with the BoM, PTA, and Principal Kibiwott, has in place a policy that allows parents to pay school fees through the donation of foodstuffs, such as maize, beans, milk, timber, and firewood. In contrast, others offer labour to the school to shield against dropouts.
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This has led to a significant reduction in the rate of drop-outs, which the principal described as minimal and steady. One such beneficiary is Elias Chebet, who is leading a team of workers in landscaping the school’s lawn for the tennis and basketball courts.
The school has a dairy project, grows tea on two 2-acre plots of land, and maintains an agroforestry demonstration plot as part of the CBE in Agriculture subject. Additionally, it earns extra resources to pay fees for students from humble backgrounds and provides salaries for farm workers.
Suwerwa Boys’ stands as the only school in the region that has diversified into the production of tea, which is sold to Kapsara Tea Factory. The proceeds from this sale are used to supplement the fees for extremely needy students. The school has been staging tea shows for the fellow visiting students from West Pokot, Elgeiyo Marakwet and Uasin Gishu counties.
To demonstrate the school’s humility and eagerness to support low-income students, a Form IV student, Francis Kitung’at, a total orphan with a school fees balance of Ksh 134,000, has remained in school even after receiving Ksh 30,000 from well-wishers and capitation from the Ministry.
Kitung’at is among a group of needy students in the school who have been seeking a bursary from the County Elimu Bursary Fund and the Cherangany NG-CDF since his admission, without success.
With merged resources and a skeleton academic staff of 29 teachers hired by the TSC and BoM, the school posted a mean grade in KCSE of 6.344 in 2024, 5.833 in 2023, 5.105 in 2022 and 5.47 in 2021.
This is attributed to support from the Kitale Diocese of the Catholic Church, under the leadership of Bishop Henry Olonya, coupled with support from the local community. Through this community-based initiative, a neighbour is set to donate a further 2 acres of land to add to the existing 13 acres for the expansion of the school’s farm activities.
The area MP, Wisley Korir, has also been a source of inspiration to the community in athletics, and when his brother, John Korir, won the Boston Marathon on April 25, 2025, the victory was celebrated in the Suwerwa community. The elder Korir won the same marathon race in 2012. Last year, the school represented Trans Nzoia County in the regional Drama festivals staged in Nakuru.
As the country prepares for the inaugural Senior Secondary under the CBE next January, Suwerwa has already put in place the necessary infrastructure as it expands the facilities, which are expected to be completed before the end of the 2025 academic year.
The assessment report by the MoE, ahead of transitioning into Grade 10 from primary education, indicates that Suwerwa is well-equipped, primarily for the STEM pathway in Science, Engineering, and Mathematics, alongside the other two tracks.
But these are not enough. To cover the Grade 10 intake, the principal says, the school is in dire need of modern ablution and administration blocks, a perimeter wall, a workshop, dormitory expansion, and the completion of the tuition building, which stalled for eight years. All of these projects require approximately Ksh 20 million.
Kibiwott, who was transferred from Kokwet Secondary School in Kericho County, where he had served as head for five years early last year, says this is only achievable through the collaboration of key stakeholders, including parents, communities, CBOs, NGOs, and other development partners. He had held a similar position at Kerio Valley High School in Elgeiyo Marakwet for a similar period, following his teaching experience at Kapenguria Boys’ as a Mathematics teacher and head of department.
By Abisai Amugune
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