Surprise as retired educationist and trainer revisits seminary 70 years later

Members of staff and students at Kiserian Catholic Junior Seminary were pleasantly surprised when a retired teacher and longtime educationist, paid them an impromptu visit seven decades later.

Mwalimu Gabriel 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, some 70 year ago.

“It was then called the Conception Immaculate Seminary, Kiserian,” the retiree told the students and staff.

During the visit fellow educationist Dr Vincent Gaitho accompanied the elderly retired tutor who is his father, in company of other siblings.

The junior Gaitho who is also the chairman of the Mount Kenya University (MKU) Council was also together with Mrs Eveline Wambui Kiarie, formerly a tutor at Machakos Teachers College; Father Francis Wairegi Gaitho of Nairobi Archdiocese and Mrs Hellen Gichuru Gaitho.

The retired 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 may be on 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.

Dr Gaitho on his part informed the students that pursuing a career as clergy person doesn’t prevent people from advancing into other professions.

Indeed, he disclosed, the church and humanity require well tuned and prepared individuals capable of offering long deserved transformations founded on morals, integrity and honesty.

He also welcomed them to seek opportunities at MKU among other higher education institutions for their future in service to humanity.

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, terming the occasion as an inspiration to young learners.

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 present site of Kilimambogo Teachers College which is the precursor of the seminary college.

From Kilimambogo the seminary was temporarily moved to Kabaa in present day Machakos county where it operated for 2 years before being relocated to Kiserian in 1956.

Father Grogan was the then rector (headteacher). Other teachers were Father Crimine and Father MacCarthy.

Old Mwalimu Gaitho’s fellow teachers were the late bishops Urbanus Kioko (Machakos Diocese) and late Raphael Ndingi Mwana’a Nzeki (Nairobi Diocese), both of whom had by then just returned for their probationary year from senior seminary school at Morogoro, Tanzania after completing their course of study in philosophy.

Among other teacher was Mr. Henry Thuo who was carpentry instructor.

In 1957, Mwalimu Gaitho returned to his home area in Gatundu North, where 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 to teach at Kiriko Intermediate school.

In 1961 he was transferred to Mariaini (Mataara) Intermediate schools. It was then he 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 middle of 2nd term 1961 there waa 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, he 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 schools to start a career as a secondary school teacher at Kiriko Secondary School in 1966.

The following year, the veteran teacher 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-month 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.

It was at Gathiruini secondary school from where he retired after working for 13 years there. This is this school he taught the likes of Prof Gicharu.

In resonance with Mwalimu Gaitho’s career path, his son Dr Gaitho who is also the Pro-Chancellor MKU, maintains that the university is a beneficiary of his influence especially in the education frontier.