P.M. MONYENYE: 10 LESSONS FOR MEN The world is full of ordinary men. However, every once in a while a great man comes along and bends the arc of history to his will by sheer power of his personality. Patrick Monyenye transformed Kisii High School from a footballing giant to an academic powerhouse and it behoves us his disciples to sing his praises as the master leaves the stage. Below are his enduring lessons : 1. VISION - Monyenye came to Kisii, he saw, he conquered. Like Jesus cleansed the temple, Monyenye did away with everything and everyone opposed to his master plan. Football was good but it was not the be all and end all. The school had to aspire to something more satisfying and he staked his honour to the achievement of his sole mission: academic success. The rest, as they say, is history. 2. ACTION - It is one thing to theorize; its quite another to practice. Monyenye followed through his promise with stern action. Vision and mission statements were printed and posted on every door and notice board. Progression to the next class was pegged on performance and teachers who failed to deliver were shipped out. The seeds of success once sowed meant the harvest was not far off. 3. FEAR - It is better to be feared than to be loved. Monyenye transcended the school like a colossus and was feared by students, parents, teachers and the board itself. His authority was unquestionable and his decisions were final. He always threatened to box people who saw things differently. His way or the highway. And boy, wasnt he successful! 4. ORDER - Monyenye was a stickler for processes. The right channels of communication had to be followed. Did you inform your class monitor? Prefect? Class Teacher...and so on. This way, he got rid of trivial issues and only dealt with serious issues. 5. RESPECT - Monyenye instilled honour in his foot soldiers, the school officials. The coat was sacrosanct. Touch a prefect and forget Kisii School. Officials were right no matter how unreasonable they were. It is for this reason that officials could run the school better than teachers especially on weekends. 6. HIERARCHY - Form Ones were to be seen but not to be heard. And they were wrong all the time. There was something so humbling about leaving primary school as a headboy but starting out high school mopping the floor, driving cattle to drink water during lunch time, ferrying logs from the farm to the kitchen on weekends and plucking coffee at the farm. The burdens got lighter the higher you went. 7. KIBOKO - Nothing gets people in line like corporal punishment. Officials were ruthless with broom sticks and electrifying slaps. Teachers would issue six of the best with bunsen burner pipes but only the principal could mete out the dreaded six bare. Quite a number ended in hospital while most got saved after the fact. 8. RESULTS - Nothing succeeds like success and if you are going to push people around theyd rather see your methods work. Monyenye walked the talk. He delivered and this only strengthened his grip on power. The discomfort he caused was deemed a small price to pay to achieve the success he assured. 9. LEGACY - Monyenye set the ball rolling and all his successors are reaping what he sowed; building on the foundation he built. Kisii School has never looked back and the tradition he set still works like clock work. 10. CARROTS FOR STICKS - Monyenye was not just about kiboko. He knew how to motivate students and teachers alike through a simple rewards formula. Teachers would get trips as far away as Mwanza after posting good results. The best students would be issued with badges to help them get past queues besides the right to an extra piece of bread. The best classes were entertained to goat eating parties. And in 2005 when his reign was at an end, DH rations suddenly grew larger. I remember attending his last assembly in August 2005 as we broke for the holidays and he promised to revamp the DH menu. Pie in the sky; little did we know it was his disappearing act. Patrick Monyenye, teacher, disciplinarian, visionary, principal, but above all, an astute leader of men. Rest in Peace
Posted on: Sun, 10 Aug 2014 17:53:11 +0000
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