This is my first piece in 2026. Happy New Year, Kenyans. As we step into another year full of hope, promises and resolutions, it is worth reminding ourselves that wishes alone, however well-worded or passionately delivered, rarely change lives. They must be accompanied by action. Tangible action. Action that can be seen, touched, felt and measured in the everyday experiences of ordinary citizens.
Nowhere is this truer than in education. For decades, education has been the most recycled campaign promise in Kenyan politics. Every election cycle, leaders speak eloquently about the importance of educating the child, building the nation through schools and empowering the future generation. Yet once the applause fades and the rallies move on, education is often reduced to a narrow checklist: disburse bursaries, pay fees for a few needy students, release a press statement and publish a list of beneficiaries. While bursaries matter, they are not, and have never been, the full story.
In 2026, our leaders, especially Members of Parliament, must rethink what it truly means to prioritise education. They would do well to look at Kiharu Constituency, where the Member of Parliament, Ndindi Nyoro, has demonstrated that meaningful educational transformation requires more than financial aid. It requires vision, presence, consistency and an understanding that children learn best in environments that dignify them.
Ndindi Nyoro is in a class of his own. In Kiharu, education is not treated as a seasonal political project but as a living, breathing ecosystem. He has given school-going children many reasons to like their schools, and liking school is a powerful, often underestimated driver of attendance, discipline and performance. When children feel valued and excited about their learning spaces, truancy declines not because of threats, but because school becomes a place they want to be.
Classrooms in Kiharu have been modernised. Infrastructure has been beautified, not merely repaired to the bare minimum. Schools are clean, organised and inviting. The learning environment is deliberately made learner-friendly, sending a clear message to children: you matter, your comfort matters, and your education is worth investing in. This may sound simple, but in many parts of the country, learners sit in dilapidated classrooms that silently communicate neglect and low expectations.
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Beyond buildings, Ndindi Nyoro has understood a fundamental truth: a hungry child cannot learn. Ensuring that students eat lunch in school has been a game-changer. The inclusion of chapatis on the last Friday of every month may appear symbolic, but symbols matter. They create joy, routine and something to look forward to. They humanise the school experience and recognise that learning is not only an intellectual activity but also a physical and emotional one.
Equally important is how he has treated teachers and school staff. Too often, education reforms ignore the morale of those at the front line. In Kiharu, teachers are motivated, appreciated and recognised. Flying school staff for holidays abroad may raise eyebrows in some circles, but it sends a powerful message: educators are professionals worthy of reward and rest. A motivated teacher is a more committed teacher, and commitment reflects directly in classroom practice.
Ndindi Nyoro has also made his presence felt in schools. He does not govern education from afar. He visits, interacts, listens and follows up on performance. This consistent engagement builds accountability without intimidation and fosters a shared sense of ownership. When leaders show up, systems respond. When leaders care, standards rise.
The results speak for themselves. In Kiharu, no child misses school. Attendance is high not because of enforcement alone, but because the schools are habitable, supportive and dignifying. The constituency has become a model in matters of education, challenging the long-held assumption that MPs can only influence education through bursary allocations.
Perhaps the most important lesson from Kiharu is the challenge it poses to political complacency. Ndindi Nyoro has openly demonstrated that supervising bursary distribution alone is not enough. Paying school fees does not automatically guarantee that children will go to school consistently or learn effectively. Education is a system. If one part fails, the entire structure weakens.
Publishing lists of bursary beneficiaries may win short-term political applause, but without conducive learning environments and robust support systems, such gestures remain hollow. Effective learning requires safe spaces, motivated teachers, proper nutrition, engaged leadership and a culture that celebrates education. These elements do not emerge by accident; they are built deliberately.
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That Ndindi Nyoro is proud enough of the schools to conduct television interviews from within them is telling. Leaders rarely showcase what they are unsure of. His pride is rooted in substance. The schools are presentable, functional and reflective of thoughtful leadership.
As we begin 2026, Kenyan leaders must move beyond rhetoric. Education deserves more than speeches and cheques. It deserves imagination, courage and sustained investment. Kiharu shows us what is possible when leadership treats education not as a political obligation but as a moral duty. The challenge now is simple and uncomfortable: if it can be done in Kiharu, why not everywhere else? Kenya’s journey to Singapore begins at Kiharu Constituency. Bravo Hon. Ndidi Nyoro.
By Ashford Kimani
Ashford teaches English and Literature in Gatundu North Sub-county and serves as Dean of Studies.
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