Former giant Chesamisi High school set to reclaim its lost glory

By Godfrey Wamalwa

Bungoma

Once an academic powerhouse,Chesamisi High school in Bungoma county has been trending all for negative happenings and shrinking academically.

A litany of strikes and fire incidents dealt a big blow to the school growth. The school has been in the doldrums for the last three years,squeezing itself in the unenviable list of sleeping giants from western region and being in the annals of history  as giant sports and academic school in Bungoma county.

In the past,Chesamisi high school was a dream school and used to rival two national schools in the region including Lugulu Girls High School and Friends school Kamusinga among other high performing schools in the area.

The school was also known for strong performance in co-curricular and serves as a centre for benchmarking in the region in drama, dance and play to national where they have been emerging in the winning categories.

Christopher Serem, a no non sense eight month old posted school principal observes that the school is on its path to recovery and reclaim its lost glory.The Buffalo,as it used to be referred then.

Mr.Serem who has sat at the helm of the school administration for eight months now, a period within which the institution has undergone a meteoric rise in both management and academic performance.

“Before I took over this school was in the dark and the journey to reclaim the academic powerhouse status has just begun,we are determine to take the school to national heights where it belong”the soft spoken principal told this writer.

During last year Kcse results,the school defied all odds to produce 164 students with a direct entry to universities.

An impressive performance was registered following an improvement; from 5.8(2019) to 6.2(2020) mean score. “This is  history made in Chesamisi Boys and this clearly shows that the school is going back to what it used to be then”observed the principal.

Asked  about his vision while still the school principal,said he intend the school to produce brilliant, disciplined and God-fearing students. The culture of excelling every year pushes the next class to do even better because no one wants to be a let-down and that makes management easy.

“Our goals may sound lefty but that is where every journey begins with a dream and the future truly belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams” said the Principal who has won confidence of teachers, parents and students proving his mettle as an accomplished Principal.

Mr.Serem  has an inspirational story. When he took over the school late last year, moral of teachers and students had dropped to an all-time low with a poor academic record since the schools structural facilities had won out and with few toilets on the school compound had sunk.

With an equivocal co-operation from parents and the community Mr.Serem refused to sit pretty and watch as the ghost of poverty presided over the pursuit for success at Chesamisi Boys High  school.

“We understand that discipline is the cornerstone to any success. I am happy to say that there has been improved discipline in this school and no doubt, students at Chesamisi High school are beginning to reap its fruits,” he posed.

The school encourages and rewards self-discipline whereby students work without much supervision. “Doing the right thing at the right time and at the right place sums up self-discipline. It is this self-discipline that has enabled our school to shine academically and in co-curricular activities,” he added.

However Mr. Serem decried cases of theft which were rampant among the students, where he called on parents to instill discipline among their sons.

Back in the days of A-levels, it was Chesamisi that blazed the path for its students to the University of Nairobi (UoN). Friends School Kamusinga, turned the tables with the onset of O-levels.

The tiff got interestingly when girls were thrown in the mix. Chesamisi boys had their eyes on lasses from Misikhu High (now St Cecilia Girls), while Friends School salivated after Lugulu Girls. For that, Friends School considered Chesamisi boys daft, because they believed they were dating the best brains in Bungoma. Chesamisi never took this lying down.

Chesamisi  High school which  gave educational light to several prominent people  including  the former supreme court judge Smokin Wanjala is one among the former students of the school.

Others include the late Former Vice President, Kijana Wamalwa, former  Vihiga County governor Moses Akaranga and senate speaker Ken Lusaka.

Chesamisi is located at the foot of Mt Elgon in Kimilili Constituency and was established in 1964 by the mild and friendly Quaker missionaries. ENDS