Mombasa: The 48th Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (KESSHA) Annual National Conference commenced today at Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Secondary School in Mombasa County. The event, which runs from the 23rd to the 27th of this month, has attracted over 7,000 school heads and 1,000 education stakeholders from across Kenya.
According to Kenya News Agency, the five-day forum, themed 'Embracing Pathways in Senior School under the Competency-Based Education (CBE)', aims to facilitate in-depth discussions on the implementation of senior secondary pathways. It seeks to position senior school education as a cornerstone of Kenya's ongoing education reform agenda. KESSHA National Chairperson Willy Kuria emphasized that this year's conference will offer a platform for critical engagement on issues such as sustainable education financing, school accountability systems, and the role of teachers' unions in enhancing educational outcomes.
Kuria highlighted the conference's objective to align all stakeholders with the transition to senior school under CBE, ensuring that the implementation is supported through sound policies, adequate financing, and robust institutional frameworks. Deputy President Prof. Kithure Kindiki is expected to officially open the conference on Wednesday, with other prominent speakers including Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos Ogambo, Health CS Aden Duale, and Treasury CS John Badi.
Additional dignitaries expected to attend are senior officials from the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), the Office of the Auditor General, and representatives from education unions KNUT and KUPPET. Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir is also anticipated to grace the event, with the conference set to conclude on Friday with remarks from the Cabinet Secretary for Education, Julius Ogamba Migos.
Meanwhile, Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) has reiterated its commitment to supporting access to quality education. During a pre-conference session, Erick Naivasha, Head of Sustainability at KCB, detailed the bank's initiatives to overcome financial barriers faced by vulnerable learners. KCB has supported over 5,000 students through sponsorship programs, ensuring that learners from disadvantaged backgrounds can continue their education.
Naivasha also mentioned the Wezesha programme, which equips students with job readiness skills to better prepare them for the workforce. Additionally, KCB is leading efforts in a clean energy transition in schools nationwide. Naivasha pointed out that over 90 percent of schools still rely on firewood and fossil fuels, advocating for the Clean Energy in Schools initiative that promotes solar power, LPG, biogas, and other sustainable solutions.
He warned about the environmental and economic unsustainability of schools contributing to the cutting down of over 10 million trees annually, urging for decisive action toward cleaner, cost-effective, and healthier energy sources. Naivasha stressed that this transition is not just a sustainability issue but also a matter of health, cost efficiency, and climate responsibility.