A retired teacher and longtime educationist, Mr Gabriel Gaitho, has surprised staff and students at Kiserian Catholic Junior Seminary when he paid them an impromptu visit, 70 years after he taught at the school.
Mwalimu Gaitho, 92, was one of the teachers at the institution in 1956. He taught the seminarians in intermediate classes (Standard 5 to 8) soon after graduating as a P3 teacher from Kilimambogo Teachers College. “It was then called the Conception Immaculate Seminary, Kiserian,” the retiree told the students and staff.
During the visit, Mr. Gaitho’s son Dr. Vincent Gaitho who is also the chairman of the Mount Kenya University (MKU) Council accompanied mwalimu together with other siblings namely Mwalimu Mrs Eveline Wambui Kiarie, formerly a tutor at Machakos Teachers College; Father Francis Wairegi Gaitho of Nairobi Archdiocese and Mrs Hellen Gichuru Gaitho.
The former teacher encouraged the students to remain focused in their studies with an intent to pursue the opportunities that the future holds for them. “Though you are studying in a Catholic seminary, the world is available for you as religious leaders or in other careers that the world may offer,” he said.
He encouraged them to seek opportunities in advancement of their education with knowledge that late vocation for religious people is a possibility.
Mr. Gaitho informed the students that pursuing a career as clergy doesn’t deny people from advancing into other professions. Indeed, the church and humanity requires well tuned and prepared individuals capable of offering long deserved transformations founded on morals, integrity and honesty.
Welcoming the guests, the Father Rector in Charge, Rev. Joseph Waratho, said he was very happy to receive someone who taught at the school 70 years ago.
He said students and teachers had a lot to learn from the nonagenarian (a person aged between 90 and 99 years).
Mwalimu Gaitho said formerly, the seminary was established at the present site of Kilimambogo Teachers College hence being the precursor of the college.
From Kilimambogo the seminary was temporarily moved to Kabaa in Machakos County where it operated for 2 years before being relocated to Kiserian in 1956.
Father Grogan was the rector (headteacher). Other teachers were Father Crimine and Father MacCarthy.
Mwalimu’s fellow teachers were the late bishops Urbanus Kioko (Machakos Diocese) and Raphael Ndingi mwana’a Nzeki (Nairobi Diocese), both of whom had just returned for their probationary year from senior seminary school at Morogoro, Tanzania after completing their course of study of philosophy. Among the teachers was Mr. Henry Thou who was a carpentry instructor.
In 1957, Mwalimu Gaitho returned to his home area in Gatundu North, where he started an Intermediate Class at Kamwangi primary school. The following year (1958), Mwalimu Gaitho returned to Kilimambogo Teachers College for an upgrading course to Primary (P2) grade.
After his P2 training in 1959, Mwalimu Gaitho was posted as a teacher at Kiriko Intermediate school. In 1961 Mwalimu was transferred to Mariaini (Mataara) Intermediate schools. It was then decided that the Mataara Intermediate school for girls be swapped with Kiriko Intermediate school for boys. Mwalimu Gaitho moved with the boys to Mataara in 1961.
In the mid of 2nd term 1961 there was unrest in the Kiriko Intermediate school for girls. To manage the situation Mwalimu Gaitho was transferred to the girls school as the headmaster.
All the time, mwalimu was engaged in academic studies as a private candidate under tutelage of the Rapid Results College. In 1961, he sat and passed his Cambridge O’levels, after which he left primary school to start a career as a secondary school teacher at Kiriko Secondary School in 1966.
The following year, he was upgraded to Secondary School (S1) status after attending a course at the Institute of Adult Studies in Nairobi where he qualified with an equivalent of GCE A’Level and University Entrance Examination.
In 1968, he gained admission to the University of Nairobi to pursue a degree in Education (History, Geography and Psychology).
After graduation, the educationist found himself back at Kilimambogo Teachers College as tutor and later as deputy principal. In the course of his career as a tutor at Kilimambogo he won a 10-months scholarship to study comparative education in Australia where he was attached to Sydney University.
Mwalimu Gaitho retired in 1992, having taught in several primary, secondary schools and colleges. Among his many students, he recalls Prof Simon Gicharu, founder and chairman of the Board at MKU and Mr Mwangi Mbothu, Chief Principal at Kianyaga High School.
In resonance with Mwalimu Gaitho’s career path, his son Dr Vincent Gaitho, (Chairman of MKU Council and the pro -chancellor) relates MKU as a beneficiary of Mwalimu’s influence especially in the education frontier.
As it were, MKU offers Bachelor of Education programs in Arts, Science, Primary Education, and Special Needs Education. There are also Master of Education programs with specializations like Educational Counseling Psychology, Educational Management Administration, and Special Needs Education.
“We also offer Diplomas in Early Childhood Studies and in Special Needs Education as well as Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGDE).
For tutors, there is the Teacher Professional Development (TPD) program, accredited by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC). MKU also offers flexible learning modes, including online and distance learning, making it accessible for working teachers,” he added.
