Guinness World Record Bid: Nakuru Maths teacher cleared for lesson marathon challenge

Menengai High School, Fenwick Maloba, is set to attempt a Guinness World Record for the longest marathon individual Mathematics lesson of 45 hours. The record-breaking attempt is set to start on June 26 to 28.

Themed ‘Maths is not a monster, it is a marathon’, the contest, Maloba says, is aimed at promoting the subject, inspiring learners to excel in it and challenging long-held perceptions about Maths being difficult, intimidating and only meant for a few gifted learners.

“The Ministry of Education has now given a go-ahead for the challenge to happen, and I am ready and excited to do so. I have been preparing for this for so long, and I am ready for Friday,” says Maloba.

He is expected to teach various topics drawn from the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) secondary mathematics syllabus, including geometry, trigonometry, statistics, probability, calculus, and algebra.

he tutor, who has been teaching in the institution for the last six years, believes he can change the perception towards Maths through this challenge.

“The lesson will be delivered to groups of rotating students to ensure continuous engagement, with five-minute breaks every hour, and the topics covered will be from Grade Ten to Form Four,” he says.

He says he will have about 10 independent witnesses according to the requirements of the Guinness World Records, who will be divided into five groups and will also be on a two-hour rotational basis.

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the current official record for the longest mathematics lesson is 31 hours, 42 minutes, and 54 seconds, set by Nigerian student Sanusi Kazeem from the University of Ilorin in April 2025.

The mathematics and physics teacher had wanted to attempt this challenge on January 30, 2026, at 8 am, but was blocked by the Ministry of Education, which claimed it hadn’t given the proper approvals for him to proceed.