The M-Pesa Foundation has officially handed over a KES 67 million state-of-the-art infrastructure upgrade at Upanda Comprehensive School, replacing decades-old semi-permanent structures with modern learning facilities.
Located in Upanda Village in Alego-Usonga Sub-County, Siaya County, the school was established in 1965 and officially registered in 2024 as a single-stream primary institution.
Today, under the leadership of Head of Institution Dorine Juma and Board of Management Chairman Fanuel Omuga, Upanda serves 357 learners (202 boys and 155 girls), supported by 11 Teachers Service Commission (TSC) teachers.
This comprehensive transformation directly addresses the stark educational realities revealed by census and public policy data in Siaya County.
While Siaya boasts a strong culture of learning, with an adult literacy rate above 80% and 63% of the population reaching primary education, long-term retention remains a critical bottleneck.
Census data indicate that only 15.8% of Siaya residents reach secondary school or higher (13% complete secondary, 2% reach tertiary, and 1% reach university), while 14% have no formal schooling. Structural deficits in foundational learning facilities, such as high learner-to-classroom ratios and a lack of digital infrastructure, have historically limited transitions to higher education levels.
Learners access clean water at newly constructed handwashing stations situated below an elevated 10,000-litre water storage tank at Upanda Comprehensive School in Alego-Usonga Sub-County.
M-Pesa Foundation Trustee Celestine Munda speaks to learners in one of the newly constructed classrooms at Upanda Comprehensive School, alongside Head of Institution Dorine Juma.
M-Pesa Foundation Trustee Celestine Munda (centre-left) cuts the ceremonial ribbon alongside learners, local leaders and the community during the official handover of the KES 67.35 million Upanda Comprehensive School in Alego-Usinga Sub-County.
Exterior view of the newly constructed, fully furnished Administration Block at Upanda Comprehensive School in Alego-Usonga Sub-County. Built as part of a KES 67 million investment from the M-Pesa Foundation, the facility includes executive offices, a central boardroom, a staff lounge, and reception areas furnished with modern orthopaedic desks and visitor seating.
M-Pesa Foundation Trustee Celestine Munda and Head of Institution Dorine Juma during a tour of the modern stainless-steel kitchen facilities at Upanda Comprehensive School in Alego-Usonga Sub-County, equipped with 200-litre energy-efficient eco-jikos.
M-Pesa Foundation Trustee Celestine Munda (centre, wearing green) greets staff at Upanda Comprehensive School during the official handover, with Head of Institution Dorine Juma, BOM chairperson Fanuel Omuga, and a young learner present.
A learner operates a desktop computer inside the newly established 40-seater ICT Laboratory at Upanda Comprehensive School in Alego-Usonga Sub-County.
