Kepsha national chair Johnson Nzioka dies in Athi River road crash

Mr Johnson Nzioka, the national chairman of the Kenya Primary Schools Heads Association (Kepsha), has died in a road crash.

Mr Nzioka perished in a Sunday evening accident in Athi River on the Nairobi-Mombasa highway.

According to police, the chairman was killed when his vehicle collided with a truck.

The office of Kepsha national vice chairman confirmed his death in a short statement.

“It is with great sadness that I inform you of the untimely demise of our dear National Chairman Mr Johnson Nzioka through a tragic road accident. Let's keep the family and the entire Kepsha fraternity in prayers,” the statement read in part.

Mr Nzioka, who doubles as the headteacher at Donholm Primary School in Nairobi, was a seasoned educationist and manager.

Various players in the education sector have mourned Mr Nzioka as an effective representative of primary school headteachers. He assumed chairmanship of the association in 2021.

Respected leader

Mr Nzioka was a respected education leader, known for his unwavering advocacy for better school management, increased funding for primary schools, and the welfare of head teachers across the country.

Under his leadership, Kepsha championed issues such as timely capitation disbursements, mental health support for teachers, and digital literacy programmes to improve learning outcomes.

He was vocal about the challenges of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), particularly the lack of adequate infrastructure for Grade 9 learners, and consistently urged the government to increase funding to address these concerns.

"The Kepsha chairman has stood out to be a great mobiliser for head teachers’ activities and a negotiator for their welfare during his short stint at the helm of the association," said Collins Oyuu, the secretary-general of the Kenya National Union of Teachers.

“Mr Nzioka has been a regular contributor to teachers’ well-being generally. He will be remembered for his soft but forthright speaking especially while brokering peace among his members.”

In addition to his advocacy work, Mr Nzioka partnered with organizations to equip teachers with digital skills, believing that technology was key to modernising education and easing administrative burdens.

His death is a significant loss to the education sector, and tributes continue to pour in from colleagues, educators, and policymakers. Funeral arrangements and official statements from Kepsha are expected in the course of the day.