By Anderson Ojwang
For the last three elections, Siaya electorates have recognised the value of education. For them, education takes precedence in leadership. This explains why, in Siaya County, they have elected scholars and professionals as Governor, Women Representatives, and Members of Parliament.
Similarly, the electorates have, for the last three elections, honoured and recognised the academic feat of the incumbent Women Representative, Dr Christine Ombaka. Dr Ombaka has easily ridden to victory.
The electorates have understood the power of an educated woman, and now that Dr Ombaka has shifted her focus to the Gem parliamentary seat, another scholar, respected educationist, and trailblazer, Dr Pamela Akelo, could be eyeing the seat as a possible and more suitable replacement.
Dr Akelo is a respected educationist, mentor, and performer, and is recognised for her role in transforming education in Kisumu City and other parts of the country.
A teacher of English and Literature, Dr Akelo is a trailblazer and award winner for her contributions to education, the promotion of girl-child education, and the nurturing of talent in the country.
The Making of Dr Akelo
From a classroom teacher, Dr Akelo rose to become a school inspector and later Municipal Education Officer in Kisumu Municipality.
At the municipality, Dr Akelo turned fortunes around and put the region on the national grid in terms of academic performance.
“In management, language is an important vehicle. That is why my area of specialisation, English and Literature, became a very vital tool in management. You must be able to comprehend and articulate to be a good manager, and that is how my subject area became the vehicle of success.
I was promoted to become an inspector of schools, and this exposed me to the management and monitoring of curriculum implementation and teachers. This prepared me for a bigger role and a better understanding of basic management concepts and how to explore and exploit emerging dynamics in the education sector,” she said.
Kisumu MEO
In Kisumu Municipality, Dr Akelo rewrote the story of education in the lakeside town. During her era as the MEO, competition in schools and nationally was a common feature in the country.
She made Kisumu schools and the municipality an academic powerhouse, with the region topping and sending a high number of students to national and top provincial schools.
“When I was promoted to Kisumu Municipality Education Officer, the municipality was number 39 on the national ranking grid. This was a situation I had to reverse, so I developed strategies to rewrite the story of Kisumu Municipality.
We were able to turn the tables, and within a short period, we moved to position two, and the following year Kisumu Municipality topped nationally,” she said.
Dr Akelo said Kisumu Municipality dominated other municipalities in the country in terms of academics, which earned her another promotion.
First Woman District Education Officer in Bomet – 2009
In Bomet District, Dr Akelo made history as the first woman District Education Officer. This was challenging, but she was up to the task.
“I like challenges and setting precedents. I had to set a trend that would make the community respect and hold women in leadership in high esteem. That is why when I was transferred years later, my successor was also a woman,” she said.
In Bomet District, Dr Akelo presided over the registration of private schools, the development and nurturing of talent, and improved performance in national examinations.
Migori Girl-Child
In Migori, Dr Akelo came face to face with the harsh realities of the problems and obstacles facing girl-child education in the region and sought solutions.
“In Migori District, I was shocked by the high rate of dropouts among girls, low performance, and pregnancies. This matter was very close to my heart.
I started by looking at the root causes of poor performance among girls and realised that precious learning hours were wasted at home doing domestic chores and in school cooking for teachers. This had to come to an end,” she said.
In secondary schools, she was concerned that the majority of girls scored grades D–E, with only a few managing Bs and Cs.
“We embarked on an ambitious programme for the girl-child, which included talks and holiday camps. We invited speakers and mentors, and within a short span of time, we managed to have girls scoring grade A in the national examinations, a fruit I celebrate to date,” she said.
Dr Akelo also engaged the community in an initiative to return to school girls who had given birth.
“I engaged the community and the provincial administration in an initiative to bring back to school girls who had given birth and to stop early marriages. This initiative paid off, and we had huge numbers returning to school,” she said.
Award
Dr Akelo was awarded the Head of State Commendation for her role in girl-child education, in addition to her promotions.
“My efforts in Migori were recognised by USAID, and I was awarded as an unsung hero by the then US Ambassador to Kenya, David Hempstone, and later decorated by President Mwai Kibaki with the Head of State Commendation,” she said.
CEC Education – Siaya
Dr Akelo was headhunted to become the CEC for Education and Sports in Siaya County by then Governor Rasanga Amoth. At the time, she was the District Education Officer for Vihiga.
“My employer seconded me to Siaya County to head and help develop local-specific policies and Education Acts for the Siaya County Assembly,” she said.
Achievements as CEC
During her tenure, she presided over the employment of 960 Early Childhood Development and Education (ECDE) teachers and ensured they were placed on the payroll.
“I ensured in-service training for ECDE teachers and that in each of the 30 wards of the county, two ECDE classrooms were constructed. I also established two ECDE centres in every ward,” she said.
She said schools were provided with play and learning materials for learners.
In each of the 30 wards, the county government constructed a vocational training centre to offer training opportunities to Class Eight graduates to acquire skills-based knowledge.
“I introduced a school feeding programme where learners were given a packet of milk twice a week and nurtured talent development,” she said.
Talent Developer
After the end of her three-year term, Dr Akelo returned to the ministry and was promoted to County Director of Education, Trans Nzoia.
“In Trans Nzoia, apart from being an academic powerhouse, we have been the country’s pulse in sports. We have dominated national and regional sports events.
We have won several competitions locally, nationally, and regionally. We have exported several talents to international teams, and they are doing well,” she said.
Achievement
Dr Akelo has presided over the registration of two talent academies in the county, namely Trans Care and Cranes Academy, for nurturing talent among both boys and girls.
Community Projects
During her tenure as CEC, she ensured that the county government drilled boreholes in all schools in Uyoma to address water insecurity in the area.
“I started St Anthony Pala Kobonyo Secondary School, which is doing well, and handed it over to the government,” she said.
Gender Champion
Dr Akelo is a gender champion and is very passionate about the subject.
She holds a Master’s degree in Education Policy and Planning, which has been her strength.
