- Mogoko, who aspired to join Alliance High School even when he was in primary school, says his dreams received a shot in the arm when he got a chance to be admitted there.
- His father attributes this success to the dedication and consistency that the son showed and the competitive nature at Alliance.
- Besides academic work, Alliance High School empowers students in other fields and has a strong belief in wholesome training, through clubs and associations.
“My achievement is a culmination of determination, resilience, and a deep sense of purpose, which I cultivated over the years. And of course, comes with the hand of God as a guide.”
Oriki Earl Blessen Mogoko, 2024 KCSE Candidate.
This is how Oriki Earl Blessen Mogoko caps his success in the 2024 Kenya Secondary school national examinations whose results were released by the Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba on January 9, 2025.
Mogoko, who sat his examination at Alliance High School, attributes his success to the tremendous support that his parents accorded him through his education life right from primary to secondary school.
Mogoko scored an A (plain) of 83 points, one of the best in the 2024 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations.
“As the first born in a family of five children, I believe I have set the pace high enough for my siblings so that they can follow and be successful too,” he says.
Mogoko, who aspired to join Alliance High School even when he was in primary school, says his dreams received a shot in the arm when he got a chance to be admitted there.
By joining the national school, he says his ambitions were almost half fulfilled.
He adds that right from Form One, the 2024 class was quite competitive and he had to compete among sharp minds in the school.
“From the first day I set my foot in the school I felt an ambience of success. The school set up, cool study environment and the behaviour of all the people in that academic environment motivates someone to set own goals and just work hard,” notes Mogoko.
“At alliance, we wake up at 4am, do self care and go to class for revision and early morning studies which lasts for two hours before normal class lessons begin. Whenever I needed to consult with the teachers, the school has allocated tea break time, lunch hours and even evening hours so that we personally engage the teachers for guidance,” reveals Mogoko.
His success at the institution was as a result of a good pace that was set at his former primary school – Mountain View School in Nairobi – where he sat for his Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) in 2020, scoring 414 marks amid the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“I believe the 2020 candidate class deserves the honour of being recognised as the most resilient cohort in Kenya’s educational history,” highlights the music enthusiast now a proud old boy.
“I am immensely thankful to the Alliance High School fraternity for their unwavering support. Special thanks to our Chief Principal, Mr. David K. Chomba, the Board of Management (BOM), the Parents-Teachers Association (PTA), the Alliance Old Boys’ Association, and the Parents Caucus Group leadership for always showing up when it mattered most,” says Mogoko, whose best subjects were English and Mathematics.
Supportive Parents
Mogoko celebrates his parents in this success story, saying they have stood by him and encouraged him to better his best, and they are living examples of overcoming humble beginnings to build a solid foundation for him and his siblings.
His father, Stephen Oriki, a banker, is a first-class graduate of Egerton University while his mother, Edinah Kangwana, MBS, is an alumnus of the University of Nairobi and currently a leadership consultant. She is also the founder and CEO of Arise Circle Africa.
His mother says that despite the fact that she expected her son to perform well, she was so elated with the exemplary performance that he demonstrated.
“Earl Blessen has demonstrated high achievements through his academic journey and we can say God has gifted him the results of his hard work and discipline. He has loved books and carried himself in an orderly manner with discipline,” she adds.
“I am grateful to the Parents Caucus Group leadership for always showing up when it mattered most to the young boys. This group is always ready and available whenever called upon to mentor the young boys and motivate the staff at Alliance High School,” she revealed.
His father attributes this success to the dedication and consistency that the son showed and the competitive nature at Alliance.
This, he says, is coupled with a rich alumni spirit that is very supportive and plays a mentor role to the students.
“The school’s alumni association has been a pillar to the success of the young boys,” says the father who believes his son’s siblings have been motivated by his good performance.
“Earl Blessen has a younger brother who is in the same school (Alliance) and is equally looking to follow in his brother’s success,” he said.
With this milestone, he is pursuing a scholarship to study Machine Learning and Software Engineering at one of the prestigious universities in the United States.
But should the chances fail to materialize, Earl Blessen Mogoko will be proud to continue his education at one of Kenya’s top institutions, such as the University of Nairobi, Strathmore University, USIU, or Daystar University.
Music and the Band
Besides academic work, Alliance High School empowers students in other fields and has a strong belief in wholesome training, through clubs and associations.
Earl Blessen Mogoko is good at public speaking and in music where he was a band leader of 20 boys.
“I actively participated in various extra-curricular activities that have shaped my character and broadened my horizons. I am an excellent public speaker, having participated in the People’s Dialogue Festival and the World Scholars, where I earned over seven gold medals,” he says, attributing his success to the constant practice by speaking at parade time, during events in school while discussing emerging issues.
“Additionally, I am passionate about music and was privileged to serve as the band leader, playing the trombone. Through this role, I traveled to various places, including countries across Africa and had the distinct honour of meeting two Presidents of the Republic of Kenya, former President Uhuru Kenyatta, and his successor William Ruto,” he said.
Whenever he is at home, as the first born, he has to help with family chores like cooking for the family, doing laundry and other manual duties.
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“As a family, we have a firm foundation in the church. We dedicate time to go to church as a family and that’s how we have nurtured these young children, through Christ,” says Ms Kangwana.
The family worships at Deliverance and Glory Churches.
To Mogoko, guidance from spiritual leaders and family prayers were all enough to see him succeed.
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