Prof Okumu Bigambo….Photo/IP
By Godfrey Wamalwa
BUSIA, Kenya
In the quiet compound of Nyakwaka Girls School, tucked along the busy roads of Busia County, a subtle but determined transformation is taking shape.
At the center of it is Prof. Okumu Bigambo, a Moi University lecturer and the Chairperson of the Busia County Education Board, whose blunt honesty and relentless activism have made him one of the region’s most outspoken education reformers.
For Bigambo, the education crisis in Western Kenya is not just a matter of buildings, textbooks or exam timetables.
It is a human story — a story about parents, teachers, school leaders and the choices they make.
And for a region that produced only three “A” grades in the latest KCSE results, he sees no time to waste.
“Parental disengagement is costing our children their future,” he has said repeatedly in public forums across Busia and neighboring counties.
To him, the low performance is not simply a statistic but a warning sign that something fundamental has gone wrong.
His proposed solution has stirred debate across the region: parental performance contracts.
The agreements would require parents to take a more active role in their children’s learning — paying fees on time, checking on academic progress and taking part in school programs.
Critics have questioned whether the idea is realistic, but Bigambo insists it is necessary.
“Education is a shared responsibility,” he says. “When parents step up, students thrive, and schools can deliver real results.”
Under Bigambo’s leadership, the Busia County Education Board has also revamped Boards of Management in public schools, pushing them toward more hands-on governance.
No longer, he says, should BOMs be ceremonial bodies that meet only to rubber-stamp decisions.
Instead, he expects them to oversee resources, support teachers and enforce national education policies — responsibilities he believes are critical to lifting learning outcomes across the Western region.
Equity is another pillar of his push for reform.
Bigambo has openly criticized the practice of elevating certain schools to national status without matching investment in infrastructure or staffing.
He describes the trend as “cosmetic,” arguing that underserved areas continue to lag behind despite flashy classifications.
True change, he says, means prioritizing resources where they are needed most and ensuring that every student, regardless of background, has access to a fair education.
Beyond academics, Bigambo has sounded the alarm on social issues affecting students.
He points to rising teenage pregnancies as a leading contributor to school dropouts and urges parents to play a more active role in safeguarding their children.
He also encourages schools to enroll learners in the School Health Assurance scheme, which provides essential health services and keeps students in class.
His concern extends to teachers and administrators, especially as they navigate the pressures of the Competency-Based Curriculum.
Bigambo says many school leaders are overwhelmed and need mental health support to manage the growing expectations placed on them.
“Effective leadership requires compassion, support and functional working conditions,” he says.
Across Western Kenya, his advocacy has pushed uncomfortable conversations into the open.
Some stakeholders view his proposals as disruptive, but many acknowledge that his approach is forcing a long-overdue reckoning in a region that has struggled for years to improve education standards.
Bigambo’s work is rooted in a simple belief: real and lasting change must involve everyone.
It is a philosophy that is gradually reshaping attitudes in communities that once saw education as the sole responsibility of teachers.
As more schools begin to feel the impact of these reforms, Bigambo’s influence continues to spread — not as a loud, headline-grabbing movement but as a steady, persistent call for accountability and shared responsibility.
In a region where progress has been slow and challenges deeply entrenched, Prof. Okumu Bigambo’s efforts offer a renewed sense of hope.
He is not just advocating for change; he is rewriting the rules of education in Western Kenya, one school and one student at a time.
