The 48th Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (KESSHA) Annual National Conference began today at Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Secondary School in Mombasa County.
The meeting takes place from the 23rd to the 27th this month and brings together over 7,000 school heads and 1,000 education stakeholders from across the country.
The five-day forum themed “Embracing Pathways in Senior School under the Competency-Based Education (CBE)”, aims to deepen discussions around the implementation of senior secondary pathways and the positioning of senior school education as a key pillar in Kenya’s education reform agenda.
KESSHA National Chairperson Willy Kuria said this year’s conference will provide a platform to engage on critical issues, such as sustainable education financing, school accountability systems, and the role of teachers’ unions in enhancing quality learning outcomes.
“Our objective is to align all stakeholders with the ongoing transition to senior school under CBE. We want to ensure the implementation is well supported through sound policies, adequate financing, and strong institutional frameworks,” Kuria noted.
Deputy President Prof. Kithure Kindiki is expected to officially open the conference on Wednesday.
Other dignitaries scheduled to speak include Education Cabinet Secretary (CS) Julius Migos Ogambo, Health CS Aden Duale, Treasury CS John Badi, and Principal Secretary (PS) for Basic Education Prof. Julius Bitok.
Others would be 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 expected to grace the event. The conference will be officially closed on Friday by the Cabinet Secretary for Education, Julius Ogamba Migos.
Meanwhile, Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB), has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting access to quality education.
Speaking during a pre-conference session, Erick Naivasha, Head of Sustainability at KCB, highlighted the Bank’s efforts to address financial barriers faced by vulnerable learners.
“KCB has supported over 5,000 students through our sponsorship programmes, ensuring that learners from disadvantaged backgrounds remain in school and complete their education,” Naivasha said.
He added that through the Wezesha programme, KCB equips students with job readiness skills to better prepare them for the workforce.
The Bank is also spearheading a clean energy transition in schools across the country.
“Over 90 per cent of schools still rely on firewood and fossil fuels for cooking and electricity. Our Clean Energy in Schools initiative promotes solar power, LPG, biogas, and other sustainable solutions,” Naivasha explained.
He cautioned that learning institutions are currently responsible for the cutting down of more than 10 million trees annually, a practice he described as environmentally and economically unsustainable.
“We must act decisively to transition schools toward cleaner, cost-effective, and healthier energy sources. It is not only a sustainability issue; it’s a matter of health, cost efficiency, and climate responsibility,” he said.
By Sitati Reagan and Amina Bakari
