Homa Bay schools urged to back student elections to nurture democracy

Education stakeholders in Homa Bay County have been urged to support school elections as they cultivate civic duty in students at the grassroots level.

The county Law Society of Kenya (LSK) chairperson Nancy Nyarige said that the elections also strengthen democratic values as students’ transition from peers to public servants within the school community.

She argued that the elections are significant because the era has come where leadership is often scrutinised and teaches youths that holding office is a sacred trust.

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"Elected students take an oath of office as a formal commitment to transparency. They are reminded that they are answerable to students who placed their trust in them," Nyarige said.

Speaking when she presided over the swearing-in ceremony of elected officials at LaSalle Academy in Homa Bay town, the LSK official said school elections promote practical citizenship where learners are not just taught history from a textbook but given a front-row seat to the responsibilities of governance.

The ceremony was also attended by Homa Bay Subcounty Education Director Ziada Osano. According to Nyarige, there is skill development in such initiatives on the grounds that the roles students play require conflict resolution, budgeting, and advocacy. The skills developed will enable them to serve in future even after they leave the hallways of the school.

"The Law Society of Kenya is ready to cooperate with school administration to provide guidance necessary for students to execute their initiatives. We're calling on education stakeholders to support such initiatives because of their importance in the society," LSK official said.

The initiatives ensure that the student council participates in major decision making in schools. Osano said school elections promote growth as they allow students to have space to lead, to make mistakes and to learn from them in a supportive environment.

She argued that such initiatives enable schools to uphold democracy for learners as enshrined in the system of education. The students took oath for the position of president, deputy, governor and deputy, senator, woman representative among others.

"The government encourages learners to do democratic election of leaders as opposed to appointment from teachers and authorities. "Today's exercise looks real as students take oath," Osano said.

LaSalle school director Antony Oloo said such initiatives give children an opportunity to grow as future leaders.

"It is part of the experimental learning in the Competency Based Education. The initiative promotes democratic space as students choose leaders themselves," Oloo said.

Parents Lin-ah Otieno and Collins Omito said the initiative inculcates leadership skills in the children.

"We support it because the children are the future leaders. Most elected people tend to be disciplined as they want to show good examples to those they lead," Otieno said.