Unsung Kenya educators taking lessons to the world

The lesson plans barely tell half their stories. Beyond classrooms, remarkable transformations are taking place as teachers strive to make learning easier, create better environments, and reach learners in remote areas or communities around.

Although their efforts are transforming lives across Kenya, their names rarely surface when heroes and heroines are celebrated locally. Yet, a simple Google search reveals brilliant profiles — educators whose work has earned global recognition.

For Dominic Orina, a teacher at Kugerwet Primary School in Bomet County, a determination to tackle high rates of malnutrition among learners and the surrounding community propelled him to global acclaim. He recently joined the ranks of Global Teacher Award ambassadors, recognised for exceptional service to their profession and for highlighting the vital role teachers play in society.

Earlier this year, Orina emerged among the top finalists in the prestigious Global Teacher Prize.

While his work has received global praise, his mission to ensure healthy learners continues to gather momentum across villages in Konoin Sub-county. Orina also runs a programme called “Dress Me Up”, through which he mobilises resources from well-wishers to buy school uniforms for needy pupils.

Orina’s journey to address malnutrition began in 2017, when he was posted to Kugerwet Primary School. He quickly realised that access to indigenous vegetables in local households was a major challenge.

“Families were focused on tea growing, and finding traditional, nutritious vegetables was difficult. Around the same time, a health report revealed alarmingly high cases of malnutrition in the area,” Orina explained. 

Determined to make a difference, Orina introduced school-based vegetable gardens. Pupils learnt how to grow indigenous vegetables and replicated the practice at home. He purchased seedlings and established demonstration plots at the school, allowing learners to take surplus seedlings to their families — an initiative that soon spread widely.

 Beyond the classroom, Orina also teaches online, sharing lessons on growing different vegetable varieties — a move that has earned him a large following on social media.

In addition to promoting nutrition, Orina encourages learners to save the proceeds from their farm produce by opening bank accounts, introducing them to agribusiness at an early age.

As Orina widens his outreach to neighbouring schools, Peter Tabichi, the 2019 Global Teacher Prize winner, is quietly empowering teachers to overcome resource challenges in the classroom.

Through his foundation, Tabichi trains teachers to create low-cost learning materials, helping to implement the Competency-Based Curriculum effectively. While inadequate resources remain a major concern in schools, his foundation promotes innovation by training educators to use locally available materials. 

“I aim to build a vibrant community of practice that transforms classrooms. Through this foundation, I am championing teacher-led change to build resilient, hands-on learning across Kenya and inspire educators globally,” Tabichi said. Tabichi became the first African teacher to win the Global Teacher Prize in 2019, recognised for his selflessness — including donating most of his monthly income to support needy learners.

He has since been named among the Top 100 Most Influential Africans by New African magazine and has received several accolades, including the Ahimsa Award (2020), Commonwealth Outstanding Teacher (2022), Moran of the Order of the Burning Spear (2019), and UN in Kenya Person of the Year (2019).

Like Tabichi, Dr Maina Gioko, who was among the Top 50 finalists of the Global Teacher Prize in 2019, is a vibrant and innovative educator.

Dr Maina, who teaches at the Aga Khan Academy in Mombasa, has served internationally as an examiner and facilitator. He champions modern, high-impact teaching strategies that make learning dynamic and inclusive. 

Having contributed extensively to education research, he ranks among Kenya’s most innovative educators, focusing on digital literacy and the development of cutting-edge teaching aids. His work has gained international recognition for promoting quality, inclusive education, especially among under-resourced communities.  “I champion for digital literacy and technology because it is the only tool that under-resourced communities can leverage on to be at par with the rest of the world,” he said.

Dr Maina’s accolades include being named among the Top 50 Teachers in the Global Teacher Prize, listed as a Top 100 Influencer in Technology in Africa, and receiving both the Baldev Prize for Transformation and the Presidential Education Leadership Award for his impact on education.

Another outstanding educator is Linah Anyango, a 2020 Global Teacher Award finalist, who has emerged as a force in Biology and Chemistry. A passionate advocate for underrepresented learners, she has been instrumental in advancing girls’ participation in STEM.

Besides inspiring girls to pursue science careers, she has trained over 5,000 teachers across 15 countries in gender-responsive teaching. Her innovative work earned her a TechWomen Fellowship in Silicon Valley and recognition by UNESCO among the Top 50 teachers worldwide. “Every learner has unique strengths, challenges, and ways of understanding the world. Our role as educators and leaders is to create learning environments where all students can thrive, whether they are differently abled, gifted, or from marginalized communities,” Linah said.

The most recent Kenyan teacher to receive international acclaim is Jepkosgei Chemoiwa, a Mathematics and Physics teacher at Emining Boys High School in Mogotio, who was named African Union Continental Best Teacher.