Ex-Alliance principal Khaemba lands big position

Former Alliance High School Principal Christopher Khaemba has been appointed director and co-founder of Nova Pioneer Academies, a chain of schools in Kenya and South Africa.

The schools incorporate current curricula with innovation and leadership to produce students who are more prepared for the challenges of the 21st century.

Mr Khaemba propelled Alliance High School to great heights before moving to South Africa where he became the head of the African Leadership Academy.

READ: Ex-Alliance principal Khaemba to build Sh300m schools

SCHOOLS
Afterwards, he teamed up with other like minded educationists to establish Nova Pioneer Academies that operates in Kenya and South Africa.

Kenya is home to Nova Pioneer Boys, Nova Pioneer Girls and Nova Pioneer Primary Schools.

South Africa has Nova Pioneer Ormonde near FNB Stadium (formerly Soccer City Stadium), Nova Pioneer Midrand and Nova Pioneer North Riding.

The founders have determined to expand the network of schools to other countries in Africa.

INNOVATION

This expansion is being balanced with recruitment of talent to ensure that the schools offer quality education that is globally competitive.

"Our model of classroom interaction is designed to have students inspired and empowered to pursue the path of discovery through digging for information and research.

"This classroom interaction is managed by teachers who are aligned to innovation and leadership.

"Every student and schools should look at the broader picture of students’ self discovery and growth," Mr Khaemba says.

STUDENT NUMBER
In 2013, he was appointed Nairobi County's Education Executive.

He was asked by then Governor Evans Kidero to create a road-map to improve the transition rate from primary to secondary school, which he tried to do by setting up a task force to address the matter.

Among the recommendations of the task force was the establishment of a unique identification number for each learner, which would help track them in their academic journey.

The Education ministry has also taken up the idea and made it nationwide.

READ: Unique student number is here

CLASSROOMS

A framework was put in place to have the private sector participate in the expansion and building of new schools.

This was a participatory move, given that counties were only responsible for pre-primary education, and the rest of the basic education sector rested on the national government.

Through this framework, investment firm Britam funded the construction of more classrooms at Olympic Primary School.

Also at Old Mathare Primary School, new facilities such as computer rooms were built.

The project was funded by Centum.

To get the budget for development of primary and secondary schools appropriated through the county government, Mr Khaemba and Dr Kidero signed a memorandum of understanding with the Education ministry.

DEVELOPMENT

Mr Khaemba also served in the Urban Planning and Lands department under Dr Kidero's administration.

He cites the completion of the Integrated Urban Development Master Plan for the county as one of his achievements.

He however laments that funds were not available to fully implement the plan and he hopes the new administration will implement it.

Also enacted was the Communities and Residents Association Bill that allowed collaboration with residents' associations in development issues across the city.

On low-cost slum schools, referred to as Alternative Providers of Basic Education and Training (APBET), he said they should be funded because many learners rely on them.

Mr Khaemba believes that Africa's fortunes will be turned round through appropriate education, leadership and global collaboration among institutions and systems.