In Mecheo village, Esise ward in Borabu Sub County of Nyamira County lives the first African to head one of the oldest primary schools in Kisii County.
Stephen Mabeya has his portrait still hanging on the wall of the school administration block 48 years since he left Kisii Primary school.
The portrait which is hanged besides those of former and present presidents of Kenya is meant to honor him as an icon that helped transform education in the school and the region in the post-colonial era.
When we visited his home in the afternoon, the father of 10 had just arrived from hospital where his wife and he had gone for a medical checkup.
However, he narrates his life story with much enthusiasm, explaining how he helped streamline education to suit African learners in the school which is located in Kisii town from 1972 to 1974 when he worked at the school.
Mabeya became the third head teacher of Kisii DEB primary school after one Mr P. Patel and J.G. Jadeja during a time when there were 18 Asian and eight European teachers.
According to Mabeya, the pupils who were of different races used to sit for different examinations, with Africans sitting for Kenya African Primary Examination while whites and Asians sat for Kenya British primary Examination and Kenya Asians Primary Examinations respectively.
Mabeya who had previously taught in Motagara and Nyansiongo primary schools in Nyamira County was moved to Kisii primary owing to the excellent job he had done in those schools and the then District Commissioner who was a White thought he would help their children to excel.
Mabeya who was born in 1935 in Kenyenya church compound in the then larger district but current Nyamira County, was brought up by his Seventh day Adventist parents during the time British missionaries were making inroads into Western Kenya.
He schooled at Kenyenya Primary school up to standard two as required before joining Intermediate school in Motagaro Primary School.
He explains how he jumped secondary education although he passed the examinations to join the only secondary school in the area then, Kisii High School, because the school management thought he was too old to be in secondary school.
He therefore went into teaching practice in Kabianga teachers training college after doing intermediate in 1959, before venturing into teaching after which he was later promoted to an inspector of schools.
Mabeya explains how he met and made friends with Oginga Odinga, the father of the former Prime Minister and ODM party leader Raila Odinga while working as an inspector of schools in Bondo.
Odinga was later to assist the educationist return home when his attempts to sneak out of the country for further education in Russia failed after the ship they were traveling in developed mechanical problems and returned to the docks in Mombasa.
Mabeya narrates how he had traveled to Malindi to get into the ship in which he and three others were to be sneaked out of the country but after 20 miles in the water of Indian Ocean he found himself landing at the port of Mombasa just to be explained that the journey had been cancelled owing to the mechanical problems.
Mabeya ended up looking for menial jobs at a road construction site in Mombasa where Odinga’s company was contracted for the works.
Odinga who knew he was an educationist assisted him with fare and assisted him catch a train to Londian where he boarded a truck to his home in Kebirigo, Nyamira County.
Mabeya says he will be remembered for introducing a new school curriculum at Kisii primary and dropping the Asian one which was counterproductive to the learners.
As an Inspector of Schools, he helped implement education programmes, formulate school syllabus and streamlined teachers recruitment and equipment programme besides teaching how to do scheme of work for teaching purposes.
He says that he was also able to get rid of ghost teachers by coming up with a teachers register, a system that was copied by others in the country.
Comparing today’s learning experience with that of the past, Mabeya notes that the children of today are advantaged with electricity and solar as a source of energy as compared to those who used banana leaves and bees wax for lighting.
He notes that today’s Syllabus is uniform for all schools unlike the past when it was different for Africans and for Whites.
He also observes that majority of schools have built modern classrooms conducive for learning compared to the grass thatched, mud classrooms of the past which were few and located kilometers away.
Mabeya’s one of his four sons is the former Lands Commission Chairman, Zabron Mabeya.
Many professors have passed through him including the Kisii University Vice Chancellor, Prof John Akama.
“My students performed well because I let teachers and candidates stay in school where they found more time to teach and learn respectively,” says Mabeya.
Mabeya has in his retirement age documented his life journey in a book published in the 2020, titled ‘Beaten Odds’ with assistance of a relative, Joshua Araka who works in Kisii County Government.
Beaten Odds gives the story of an ordinary man who through resilience and consistency has maneuvered life challenges to scale the heights and managed to triumph.
Mabeya now expresses optimism that the national and county governments would put greater effort in identifying and honoring people who have made great impact in the country as ‘Mashujaa’.
“I hope that I too will be honored one of these days,” he says.
According to leaders in Kisii County, a cultural center needs to be put up where all county Shujaas can be honored for their exemplary work.
Speaking during the Mashujaa Day celebrations at Gusii Stadium, Kisii County elected leaders led by Governor Simba Arati noted the importance of such a venture, including naming some of the many streets after the great men and women of Kisii.
Area County Commissioner Allan Machari notes that the national government is ready to give any necessary support to ensure the move is successful.