Competition can make us fulfil the Kenyan dream of being Sawe

 

Sabastian Sawe crosses the line to win the men's race in a new world record time at the 2026 London Marathon in London, April 26, 2026. [AFP]

Sabastian Sawe’s record in the London marathon, for once, distracted us from the English Premier League (EPL). Every Kenyan somehow owns an EPL team.

On Mondays, you can tell which teams won by the mood of employees, including their managers. EPL, we can argue, is nothing short of a cult in Kenya. We all celebrated Sawe; it did not matter our ethnic background, level of education or gender. That is the Kenyan dream. Even the world celebrated Sawe.

I got two congratulatory messages from unusual places; one from Ecuador in South America, and from an old schoolmate in the United States (US) Deep South.

The second was from a former Australian ambassador to Kenya whose Kenyan roots go beyond representing Australia in Kenya; his grandfather is buried in a Rumuruti cemetery in Laikipia. The world loves and appreciates success. Sawe’s success and record-breaking left me thinking. Let me share a few thoughts silently and placidly.

One, the record is not just in time taken, but also his age, 31.  Sawe taught us the power of patience; it’s never too late in life.

Two, is that each of us should be a Sawe. What of Sawes in other sectors, engineering, farming, construction, movies, culinary arts, academia, health, security, volunteering, among others? Do we have awards in these sectors?  Sawe was given a chance to be a marathoner through school and other institutions, including his family.

Do we give Kenyans opportunities and chances to break their best records, be Sawes? It’s not that hard; it’s through our institutions. 

Families do their best, treating children the same and giving them equal opportunity and upbringing. But what of other institutions, particularly the school?

Schools ought to give each student a chance to be the best they can. I guess that is why they wear a uniform to start on the same level ground. How do we recognise what a student is good at and enhance it? 

It’s more of experimentation. From kindergarten, we should expose students to many subject areas in a friendly atmosphere.

Ever tried to play background music when teaching maths? That calls for resources beyond well-motivated teachers.

How can we get the next Tiger Woods if students have never seen a golf course? How can we get the next Michael Jackson without music lessons and instruments?

How can we get the next Albert Einstein without labs? How can we get the next Sawe without playfields or training camps? Even subjects like history become alive with trips. The government should equalise schools to give all a chance to succeed, be Sawes. 

Some countries, like Canada and Germany, have tried that approach, where the quality of public education is accessible to all. We used to be there till “reforms “of the early 1990s.

If you got into a private school, we looked down on you. Studying abroad did not have the aura of mystery it has today.

Things have shifted with parents paying a premium for their children to attend private schools. They argue such schools have resources and enhance the chances of children reaching their potential and becoming a Sawe.

They have what is considered luxury in public schools: music, sports and games or foreign languages. A rich curriculum enhances your chance of becoming a Sawe in your chosen field later in life. The government fund public schools through taxes and the provision of resources. But rarely are resources adequate. What happened to pooling all education funds to make funding easier? Why are funds like bursaries left to politicians? Curiously, education has one of the biggest budgets, but most of it goes to recurrent expenditure. 

It’s more than resources. Competition enhances the chances of becoming a Sawe.

Yet Competence-Based Education (CBE) has muted competition. One possible reason is that we don’t know what to do with “failures” grade Es or below expectations in CBE.

Yet exams are supposed to help us find the intellectual level of the student and support them appropriately. We still think poor students are “refusing to learn.” Our schools should ensure students get the best grade for their IQ, then match that to a skill or career.

Unfortunately, we focus too much on top grades, on those already endowed by nature.

That’s why universities are better built than polytechnics or vocational colleges. Will CBE change that? Let’s wait for its full cycle. 

We can go beyond school. Does the workplace allow us to be Sawe? Are we hired and promoted on merit?  How many citizens will never be a Sawe because of nepotism? 

Do we reward innovators? What incentives do we give those who want to be Sawes? 

Institutions balance out our weaknesses, strengths, prejudices, and our dreams, leading to Sawes. That is why personalising institutions from schools to government and its affiliates is so detrimental to society, the economy and social harmony.

If we are given a chance to be a Sawe at every stage of our lives, this country will become developed sooner than later. We shall be happier and more hopeful. Been given or denied a chance to be a Sawe? Talk to us.