Meet the New Principal at St. Al's

Mr. Michael Kimotho

It is a new year at St. Aloysius Gonzaga secondary school and we have a new principal, Mr. Michael Kimotho. Mr. Kimotho is a family man who is happily married with two children. Heenjoys being at St. Al’s even if he has been here for only two months. He has 13 years of experience as a principal at different schools in various parts of Kenya including Nyeri, Marsabit and Nakuru in Catholic mission schools for boys. Therefore, St. Al’s being a girls’ and boys’ school brings a whole new dimension to his already rich experience. As a teacher, he believes that teaching is relational insofar as a teacher brings what he has, and students participate in learning by asking questions and having open discussions. Having good teachers for the students bring the best out of them, and this is a fact that he can attest to proudly. He is fascinated and encouraged by the type of students in St. Al’s who are always asking questions and have a clear vision of what they want to be in life. He therefore feels a deep call as a school principal, that it is imperative to provide the students with the best avenue to realize their cherished dreams.

For him, serving the needy is his biggest motivation, and St. Al’s is the perfect place to fulfill this mission by molding youth from Kibera slum who are afflicted with HIV/AIDS by offering them education which is the greatest gift they could ever receive at their prime age. Therefore, he feels he is in the right place! He confesses that one of the most important roles he has to play is that of the teacher/parent since most of the students are total or partial orphans who live with relatives, friends, or with other students in an environment overseen by the school. He often has to provide a simulation of a family structure for these students by being the father or even the “mother” figure to them -by listening and providing direct counseling at times. Students interact freely with teachers at St. Al’s and this according to Mr. Kimotho makes St. Aloysius very unique. Students feel very comfortable here because it is not just a school, it is truly a home for them.

Following in the Jesuit philosophy of spiritual and academic formation, he hopes to fulfill the multi-dimensional needs of the students by taking care of their social, emotional, physical and spiritual needs. With this accomplished he sees a lot of transformation in the lives of students who in turn will transform where they come from – Kibera. He sees a lot of evident and great hopes in the graduate program which provides another platform for hardworking students to pursue higher education at the universities and colleges of their choices. The work ethic and determination being exhibited by the students to make Kibera a better place will be even more evident in the next 5 years. He believes that this strong desire can also be harnessed to build vibrant and visionary alumni to support St. Al’s in the spirit of learning, loving and serving.