Retired principals to meet in Nairobi this week for annual conference

Members of the giant retired high school principals’ association of Kenya are set to hold their annual conference on Wednesday and Thursday of this week.

The association, registered as Retired Secondary Schools Principals’ Association (RESSPAK), will meet at the Mwalimu National SACCO Hall, Upper Hill, Nairobi. This year’s theme is “Timeless Influence and Friends Forever”.

Speaking to Education News recently, the Vice Chairperson of the association, Dr Syprose Kizito, expressed hope that many, if not all, of the country’s retired principals would attend.

“It will be a very important conference, as is reflected in the theme of the meeting,” she said. Our aim in forming this Association was to maintain the collegiate spirit even after retirement. We need to come together and bond; share experiences. The worst a retiree can do is to leave the service, go to their retirement home, and sit there, waiting for what I need not mention,” she concludes with a smile.

The Association Chairman, Philip Cheruiyot, has urged all members to attend, as the association is bent on ensuring their welfare. He is exhilarated about what has become of the RESSPAK. He points to the increase in membership and the many structures that have been put in place.

“I urge all members to come to Nairobi to experience its renewing effect. All members should also act as recruiting agents for the association; bring somebody along. I believe Nairobi is central enough to allow easy access.”

Dr. Kizito also mentions that there will be various speakers, who will handle several issues, as time allows. Paramount amongst them will be mental health and depression, which she observed are major issues with retirees.

“Various professional studies have shown that those who retire and while away their sunset years in inactivity end up badly,” she points out.

“Conditions such as loss of memory, Parkinson’s disease and the like, are a result of not engaging the brain for long moments. Retirees must be fully aware of such issues to make deliberate and rational decisions for their welfare. We have some experts to tackle these.”

Other topics to be handled are investment in retirement, health insurance, and family life.

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Key guest facilitators will include Appellate Judge Luka Kimaru, an authority on Family issues; a guest speaker from TSC, who will present issues relevant to retirees, like pension and gratuity; and a representative from Mwalimu National SACCO.

Dr. Kizito further outlines some of the association’s core aims regarding individual members’ welfare. Members need to be guided to stay alert in four key areas: spiritually, to be at peace with their Creator; socially, to be at peace with their community; physically, to be healthy; and mentally, to be compos mentis at all times. She confides that these are some of the issues the speakers will address during the two-day conference.

“It is important to note that we won’t solely depend on outsourcing speakers. Some will be drawn from the very participants,” she says. “Remember that we have been chief executives during our tenure as teachers.

Additionally, some retirees have gained experience and extra knowledge in various fields. Some are reputable psychologists, family and marriage counsellors, writers, sociologists, health counsellors, and the like. There are, in fact, those who are teaching in universities. We wish to draw from both their expertise and experience.”

The association has bestowed a challenging role upon itself, considering its duration in existence. RESSPAK was started and registered only last year. It was the brainchild of Dr Syprose Kizito and a few other retired principals, who saw the need to register an association that would bring together people with similar professional experiences in their working lives. When the idea was floated to other retired principals, it was received very enthusiastically and thoroughly embraced in all the regions and counties of the country.

As of now, almost every county has a local branch, most of which are fully registered and have constitutions drawn from the parent body. This means they work under the parent body, albeit independently, when holding meetings and engaging in certain social activities. All the regions have local representatives, who, by virtue of their election to the positions, become members of the national executive committee.

“We have been greatly encouraged by the response of the regions vis-à-vis the idea of membership,” the treasurer, Julius Kamatei, points out. “Now we have membership across the Nation. As we publicise, we get more and more requests for membership. Actually, we average three to five fully paid-up members per day, at a good time. We currently have nearly 600 fully paid members, most registered to attend the meeting in Nairobi.

Those who have not yet paid, but have expressed interest, are 500 plus. These have joined our general WhatsApp wall. We expect a paid membership of close to 1200 by the end of the year, with potential for many more. We encourage those wishing to attend the conference to pay up even as late as now, and be with us to savour the benefits.”

So, why should the meeting be held in Nairobi?

“This was a decision reached during the last AGM,” the Secretary, Dr. Isabella Manana, says. “It was decided that we would be holding the meetings rotationally. This would provide a variety of experiences and benchmarking with various regions. It also enhances ownership of the Association. All members are thus encouraged to come and experience Nairobi; just like the Nairobians will experience their regions when the time comes.”

On conveniences, the organising secretary, Dr. Martha Tubei, assures members that all arrangements have been made for the meeting. “Those who need Airbnb or other convenient places to stay can call the number on the wall,” she advises.

Education News wishes all retired principals well!

By Charles Okoth