Bearing the Weight of Government: From Starehe to Kenya's Elections Chairperson
The appointment and swearing in of Erastus Ethekon - a 48-year old alumnus of Starehe Boys’ Centre - as the Chairperson of Kenya’s Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), is both a moment of national significance and one of Starehe’s deep institutional pride. It is a testament not only to individual merit but also to the enduring truth of the Starehe philosophy: that leadership is not a prize to be claimed, but a burden to be borne - with integrity, competence, and humility.
I joined Starehe in January 1994, and Erastus left at the end of 1995. I vividly remember his steadfast prefectship and focused character in purpose. For those two formative years, we shared the same Assembly Hall moments, ate in the same Dining Hall, and walked the same paths of discipline, duty, and dreams. We were constantly reminded that ‘From those to whom much is given, much is expected.’
When news broke that the President had nominated him as Chairperson of IEBC, many paused - not just because of the weight of the office - but because this process stirred something deeper in us. It was an affirmation of a Starehe promise: that a deserving child from any corner of Kenya, when given the opportunity, mentorship, and moral grounding, can rise to shape the nation’s future. That a Starehean is now entrusted with safeguarding Kenya’s solemn self-determination...