Namulungu Secondary Reawakens the Giant with Colourful Cultural Day

There was pomp and colour at St. Stephen’s Namulungu Secondary School in Matungu as the school held its much-anticipated Cultural Day.

This was only the second time the event was being celebrated since the school’s establishment. The initiative was spearheaded by Principal Martin Wamoyi, who took over the school’s leadership late last year.

Mr. Wamoyi said he has introduced a raft of student-centred measures aimed at transforming the school.

“We’ve worked on improving our relationship with the community, raising learners’ self-esteem, enhancing infrastructure, and, most importantly, boosting academic standards,” he noted.

He added that after months of intensive academic programs, it was time to ease the pressure—especially on the candidates.

“We decided to host a cultural day to give students a platform to showcase their talents. To make it even more exciting, we invited our neighbours, St. Mathias Aquinas Madende Secondary from Busia County, so learners could compete and interact with their peers.”

Once a powerhouse in the region, Namulungu had lost some of its shine. The new administration is determined to “reawaken the sleeping giant.”

“Our goal is to create a child-friendly school that inspires every learner,” said Mr. Wamoyi. “Not every student excels academically—some thrive in sports, music or art. We want to give every child the opportunity to shine.”

The day was filled with entertainment and talent showcases, including mimicry, rap, spoken word, spelling bees, and soccer matches. Students who are usually quiet in class surprised everyone with their confidence and creativity on stage.

The girls also held an inspiring mentorship session with Mrs. Joy Shamah, the Director of Footprints of Hope Kenya. She spoke to them about menstrual hygiene, self-esteem and sexual reproductive health, urging them to focus on education and avoid falling prey to negative peer pressure or predatory boda boda riders.

“It’s heartbreaking to see girls drop out of school due to early pregnancies,” Mrs. Shamah said. “You can become anything you want if you stay focused and set realistic goals.”

She demonstrated how to use reusable sanitary pads and gifted each girl two pairs of pads and a pair of panties, noting that many struggle to afford these essentials.

The cultural day also featured lively competitions. The Namulungu girls’ soccer team edged out their visitors 1–0, while the boys’ team thrashed Madende 3–0 in a thrilling match. Even teachers joined the fun, with Namulungu staff narrowly beating their Madende counterparts 1–0.

There was also a light-hearted eating contest where participants raced to finish a loaf of bread and a soda in record time, drawing cheers from the crowd.

As the sun set, the atmosphere buzzed with renewed energy and optimism. Students promised to channel the same enthusiasm into their studies ahead of the national exams.

Mr. Peter Ochorokodi, Head of Department at St. Aquinas Madende, praised the event, saying it was both entertaining and enlightening. “This has been a great benchmarking experience for us. We’ve learned a lot and will implement some of these ideas back home,” he said.

Indeed, Namulungu is on the rise once again—and its vibrant cultural day proved just that.