Name change, Police Station among strategies to win back students to Kivumbini Secondary

Kivumbini Secondary School has officially been earmarked for a name change to Nakuru Mixed Senior School, as education authorities move to rescue the institution from the brink of collapse following a sharp drop in student enrolment.

Speaking to Mtaa Wangu, Nakuru County Director of Education Victoria Mulili says the decision to rename the school followed consultations with teachers, community members, education officials, among other stakeholders.

“By the end of 2025, the school had only four students, all in Form three and now transitioning to form four, raising concerns about its sustainability despite having full learning infrastructure and nine teachers on staff,” she notes.

 Mulili notes Kivumbini Secondary School is a well-built school with all the infrastructure required for learning, but it does not have learners in any other class other than form four. Owing to that they agreed as a community that one of the steps towards revival of the school is a change of name.

She states that the name Kivumbini was associated with negative historical connotations that discouraged parents from enrolling their children. The proposed new name, Nakuru Mixed Senior School, has received unanimous support and will be forwarded to the County Education Board for approval alongside a new uniform for the school too.

“To attract learners, the Ministry of Education has announced that new students joining in the first term will not be required to pay any fees. The school will source food and learning materials from neighbouring schools, while the ministry will provide learning materials for Grade 10 students under the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), among other needs,” She explains, mentioning the Ministry is deliberately removing barriers that keep children out of school.

Mulili Further urged parents to return students who previously transferred from the school, particularly those currently in Form Three and Form Four.

Further noting that the ministry has reached out to school principals from nearby schools, including Afra, Langalanga and Flamingo, who took in students from Kivumbini to release such students to help stabilise enrolment.

In an earlier story published by Mtaa Wangu in January 2024 the school population still had a downward student population.

“Years back, Kivumbini secondary school used to be a three-stream school. From 2021 it fell back to a two stream and currently a single stream day school. The student’s population has overtime reduced from 500 to the current 94. As of 2025, form two students are 18, form three 30 and 46 form four students.,” a teacher in the school said.

She explains once enrollment improves, the school will qualify for government capitation of Sh22,244 per student, enabling it to run operations and tuition programmes sustainably. Plans are also underway to introduce a feeding programme to enhance retention.

 Speaking on Security concerns, Nakuru East Sub County police commander Samson Andanje says security concerns that previously affected the school are also being addressed.

“Authorities have agreed to establish a police post near the school to ensure student safety. We do not want to repeat the past where learners were intimidated. This is a fresh beginning,” Adanje says to parents attending the meeting at the school.