- Nyamgweta residents gathered to celebrate Dr. Tabitha Mochi, chief principal of Kereri Girls High School, during Mashujaa Day 2025
- President William Ruto awarded Dr. Mochi the Order of the Grand Warrior during Mashujaa Day national honours in Kwale
- Dr. Mochi personally paid school fees and bought supplies for needy students to keep girls in school
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While most Kenyans marked Mashujaa Day at county grounds this year, residents of Nyamgweta village in Kisii County held a celebration of their own, gathering to honour a woman they consider a true hero of their community.
Source: Facebook
Dr Tabitha Mochi, chief principal of Kereri Girls High School, was the centre of that celebration.
A daughter of South Mugirango, she had just returned from Kwale, where President William Ruto recognised her among Kenya's outstanding citizens during the 2025 Mashujaa Day national honours, awarding her the Order of the Grand Warrior (OGW).
Her villagers responded by presenting her with their own certificate of recognition, adding to an already impressive collection of accolades earned both locally and internationally.
Tabitha Mochi's Career Built on Teamwork and Purpose
Speaking from her office at Kereri Girls High School, Dr. Mochi traced a career that grew from teaching in a classroom to leading one of the country's prominent girls' schools.
She is quick to deflect sole credit for her achievements, pointing instead to the networks around her.
"We worked as a unit. The Ministry of Education, the Teachers Service Commission, the church, and the political class equally. We work as a team because we know that unity is strength, without which we cannot be able to succeed," she said.
For Dr Mochi, leadership is not a solo pursuit. She described effective administration as a shared responsibility, one in which every team member plays a meaningful role in pushing towards a common goal.
Beyond school administration, Dr. Mochi has quietly supported some of the most vulnerable girls in her care. When fees became a barrier to education, she stepped in personally.
"Probably, I could go out of my way as a person and also contribute to them, more particularly those needy students, by doing some shopping. I was also able to pay some school fees for some of them," she said.
Her office walls carry the visible record of those years of commitment, with awards and certificates serving as a quiet testament to a career driven by purpose rather than recognition.
Reflecting on the presidential honour, Dr Mochi expressed genuine gratitude to the head of state.
"I really want to appreciate him and say thank you, Mr President, for awarding me with OGW during the Teachers' International Celebration Day," she said.
Kisii Governor Simba Arati, speaking at the main Mashujaa Day event at Tigonga grounds in Bonchari, set the tone for the day's broader meaning.
"Mashujaa Day is not only about heroes of yesterday. It is also about heroes of today. In that regard, Kisii County is home to hardworking men and women who demonstrate the true spirit of Mashujaa," he said.
For Dr. Mochi, the honours carry weight not because of what they say about her alone, but because of every girl whose future she helped shape and every colleague who stood beside her in that work.
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St. Joseph Girls Form 4 Students Gifts Principal 7-Seater Couch
In other news, TUKO.co.ke also highlighted facts about St Joseph’s Girls Form 4 students, who presented their principal, Dr Rosebella Munzala Orwaru, with a seven-seater couch ahead of their KCSE exams.
The Class of 2026 said the gift thanked Orwaru for four years of motherly care and mentorship.
The students are now preparing for their exams with a target mean score of 8.7.
Source: TUKO.co.ke