Bikeke teacher reaches national finals in World Teachers Day contest

Sustainable agriculture educator carries regional honour to Kasarani after placing fifth across Rift Valley

By Daniel Kipchumba

A head teacher from western Kenya has earned a place at the national World Teachers Day celebrations in Nairobi after placing fifth in the Rift Valley region in the Sustainable Development Educator category, putting his school firmly on the national map.

Ronald Francis Toili Wamalwa, head of institution at Bikeke Comprehensive School, will be among educators recognised at Kasarani Stadium in Nairobi tomorrow, after a competition that drew participants from across the country through a rigorous multi-stage selection process.

The contest began at sub-county level, with the top three finishers in each category advancing to county competitions. County winners then proceeded to regional level, where the top five in each category qualified for the national finals. Across seven regions — with the Rift Valley divided into northern and southern zones, each covering seven counties — competitors were assessed across 13 categories. The regional round was held at Moi Girls High School in Eldoret.

World Teachers Day

Wamalwa’s entry in the Sustainable Development Educator category was built around an impressive body of environmental and agricultural work at Bikeke Comprehensive School. His achievements include establishing a one-million-tree nursery project, operating as a certified herbal practitioner with clients across Kenya and beyond, and transforming the school’s grounds through innovative gardening practices. He has championed environmental conservation using waste plastic and other recycled materials for crop propagation, organised Farmers Field Days to pass practical agricultural skills to the wider community, and introduced a Moringa seedlings nursery project with a target of 30,000 seedlings. His work also includes the cultivation of spices and active participation in the Presidential Award Scheme through the school’s 4-K Club.

The Sustainable Development Educator category recognises teachers whose work addresses climate change, promotes food security and advances environmental conservation — challenges that sit at the heart of Kenya’s development agenda.

Wamalwa’s progression to the national stage is the latest in a series of achievements that have brought recognition to Bikeke Comprehensive School, a institution that continues to distinguish itself through innovation and community impact well beyond the classroom.

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