Leaving a Legacy: Girl joins list of school’s history makers

• Miyuga Comprehensive School is no stranger to excellence in both academics and co-curricular activities. 
• Born and bred in a society where girl-child empowerment still needs a boost, Akinyi turned every obstacle into an opportunity.
• The school has excelled in diverse fields in the region, and this year’s remarkable performance is another mark in its trend. 

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As Education Cabinet Secretary (CS) Ezekiel Machogu made his way to the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) New Mtihani House on November 23 for the release of 2023 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) exam results, an academic giant school in Miriu Zone, Rachuonyo North Sub-County in Homa Bay County, was upbeat, and pregnant with expectation. 

With anxiety rising every second, the school community held its breath as learners kept their cool with vuvuzela and drums for the anticipated celebration of a kind.

Tracing history

Miyuga Comprehensive School is no stranger to excellence in both academics and co-curricular activities. 

In 1985, when the first KCPE was administered in the country, it celebrated the pioneer class of excellence, which proceeded to national schools, later joining universities. 

When the CS ended his speech, declaring the official release of the KCPE examinations, a humble family remained standing, joining in the frenzy as it crowned the final list of thousands of families that have benefitted from the institution.

Mitchel Akinyi, the top candidate at Miyuga Comprehensive School, goes into the region’s history of celebrated girls who brought the trophy home.  

For close to ten years: 2 years in Pre-Primary and 8 years in Primary, she looked forward to excelling in life, knowing so well education was the key.

In an exclusive interview with Scholar Media Africa, at their home in Kawiti B, Kolonde Village, Homa Bay County, Akinyi expresses her joy and excitement and thanks God, her teachers, and parents for always being by her side.

“Miyuga Comprehensive School has defined me. Despite walking a long distance to the school every day, I did not give up. 

It has given hope to many families and societies, and I longed to be on the coveted list. It was an opportunity to prove my worth to the world, and I am happy that my parents are joyous,” elated Akinyi told Scholar Media.

Joining history makers

Born and bred in a society where girl-child empowerment still needs a boost, Akinyi turned every obstacle into an opportunity, putting herself at the center of the family’s source of hope and social freedom.

Her success in KCPE offers the school another page of a long list of community girls who were patient enough to harvest its fruits.

“I am happy that when the school’s pages of history are flipped, one of those pages would be mine. 

It is a great honor, not only to me but also to my parents, who supported me to the very end. At times, my mother would remind me to wake up and study, and I never disappointed her,” she says.

Akinyi has set her eyes on Pangani Girls, a school she believes will mold her and prepare her to pursue a university degree in Software Engineering. 

She says education offers opportunity to the willing, and she is willing.

“I am keen on joining Pangani Girls, a school that I set my eyes on while still in Standard Five. I have admired this school, for far too long,” she adds. 

Sheila Apiyo, her sister, also an alumnus of the school, concurs that Akinyi has never disappointed in any assignment. 

Fear of God, discipline and hard work, she says, have paid off.

“As a family, we are indebted to Miyuga, which is particular about molding whole citizens. The patience of the teachers and the serene environment of the community is amazing. 

We can’t take it for granted. We have plucked the fruit of excellence, and my sister is committed to actualizing her dream,” Apiyo stated.

Celebrating commitment

Monica Otieno, a tailor and mother to Akinyi, says her daughter has lived up to her desire. 

She says amid great struggle and anxiety, she never looked back, registering a splendid performance that has attracted praise and honor from all corners of the region.

“My daughter has humbled me, and I am excited today. Education, indeed, is a society equalizer. There is no denying that Akinyi has elevated me to the table of achievement. Her humility and obedience could not go unrewarded, and I appreciate the teachers for supporting her.

She has done well, and she wants to join Pangani Girls. I am not in any formal employment, and this is where the trouble begins. 

I am pleading for support from anyone to enable her to join the dream school. Any support is welcomed. I do not want to dim her spirit, but to encourage her by fulfilling her desires,” Monica says.

Florence Okundi, Deputy Head Teacher at Miyuga Comprehensive School, says Akinyi was destined for greatness due to her focus and commitment. 

While congratulating teachers for their commitment, she praises the school’s last cohort of KCPE for ending the 8:4:4 curriculum in style, adding that discipline and commitment have always been the school’s hallmark.

“It is commendable as Akinyi leads this very last pack of the 8:4:4 curriculum. Today, through Akinyi’s performance, we confirm that discipline and resilience are the recipe for success. 

Miyuga has roared again, in the forest dominated by academic giants. I join the family in asking for fees support to enable her to join Pangani Girls,” Mrs. Okundi adds.

Kennedy Alando, the school’s Head Teacher, praised the school’s last KCPE cohort, terming their success “a great achievement at a time the school was penning the last history”. 

The school, according to Alando, has excelled in diverse fields in the region, and this year’s remarkable performance is another mark in its trend. 

Lorine Awuor, the Class Teacher, thanked Akinyi’s parents for giving her time to study in a conducive environment. 

She says some parents have always stood on the way of their children, dealing them a blow to releasing their potential in school.

“Akinyi is the new brand in town. Miyuga Comprehensive School and the community is proud of her for hitting the region’s academic headlines. She, in no uncertain terms, confirms that it can be done. 

As her class teacher, I am humbled to be associated with her, since as she grabs a chapter in the school’s history, it is me who handed her the pen,” she says.

School’s forefathers

Since 1985, Miyuga has always been the magnet, attracting learners from the neighboring regions. 

The foundation, laid by earlier teachers, such as Onyango Martin, Ajowi Chrispine, Okode, Chrisantus Obure, and George Kadede, has informed the school’s academic bearing over the years.

“When I joined the School as the Head Teacher in 1988, I found working structures, together with a supportive, and a co-operating community. In the previous years, the school had posted excellent results, and I had to operate within the confines of excellence,” Mr. Obure says.

He says the school’s steady performance is informed by the commitment of staff, which has existed ever since it was founded in 1967. 

The community, he adds, embraced the school from inception, encouraging locals to support their own initiative.

“In 1985, the school pushed its name on the academic map of the greater South Nyanza. 

With Caroline Obuya, now a Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) official, Mary Osano, Homa Bay County employee, Philemon Nyamanga, Research Scientist at the National Museums of Kenya, and Peter Auma, Principal at Sori Boys’ High School, among others, the school put its case for what would later become a trend,” he adds.

Holistic teaching

Obure’s sentiments are supported by Martin Kojowi, another long-serving teacher of Miyuga, who says teamwork and discipline held the school’s academic excellence in the sky. 

Together with the alumni support, Kojowi says the school has touched communities.

“If you check the records keenly, you will realize at no one time was the school involved in any examination malpractice. Away from the drama in other learning centers, the school has consistently focused on wholistic teaching. 

The feedback we got from high schools, where our learners joined, motivated us and pushed us to continue serving the community,” Kojowi says.

This year’s top girl, Mitchel Akinyi, scored an aggregate of 399 out of a possible 500 marks. The subject scores are: English 84, Kiswahili 77, Maths 90, Science 75, SSRE 73.

The School, just as in 1985, closes a chapter and opens a new one heads high, optimistic that the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) will provide another opportunity to support learners’ all-round development at a time when talent and skill are not only competitive but also a fortune.

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For now, the big question is, “Will someone come forth to support Akinyi’s dream to study at Pangani Girls?”