Keeping a promise is often regarded as a true test of trust. For parents and stakeholders of SDA Namagara Secondary School, raising funds through parent contributions to purchase a school bus would have taken them many years, that wait was significantly shortened after the Malava Constituency Development Fund (CDF), under the patronage of Malava MP David Ndakwa, stepped in and donated a school bus to the institution.

Speaking during the handover ceremony, Mr. Ndakwa commended the school principal for her strong leadership and consistent academic performance, noting that she had gone beyond the call of duty despite the school being a day institution. He assured students, teachers, and parents of his continued support, stating that his commitment to the school would not end with the bus donation. He further pledged to reward the school should it attain a mean score above 8.00 in the next national examinations.

The MP urged school Boards of Management to avoid internal conflicts, warning that leadership wrangles have contributed to the decline of several previously high-performing schools in Malava. He cited Malava Girls High School, which currently admited only 100 students against allocation of 340 by the Ministry of Education. He promised to support efforts to restore the school to its former glory and emphasized the need to uplift other across 7 wards of Malava.

Mr. Ndakwa highlighted ongoing infrastructure development projects in schools across Malava, noting that several projects are underway and are expected to be completed and commissioned across all seven wards by the end of the current financial year. He reaffirmed his commitment in supporting teachers and schools throughout the constituency to improve overall academic performance.

SDA Namagara Secondary School has continued to experience rapid growth, attracting students from across Malava. Student enrollment stood at 825 in 2023, rose to 1,009 in 2024, before slightly declining to 976 in 2025 and 923 in 2026. The school has also begun admitting Grade 10 learners under the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), which replaced the 8-4-4 system.

Owing to its consistent improvement in academic performance, stakeholders noted the need to upscale the school to sub-county status. The proposal would require expansion of the school’s land to accommodate additional infrastructure and facilities in line with its growing population and performance trajectory.

Despite the growth, the school faces a serious shortage of teachers. It currently has 45 teachers, only 12 of whom are employed by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), leaving a deficit of 33 teachers. To bridge the gap, the school has hired 15 teachers under Board of Management (BOM) terms, significantly increasing the wage bill and straining resources that could otherwise support the student lunch programme.

School principal Judith Luvaha thanked the area MP and the CDF office for their continued support, citing key infrastructure projects funded through CDF, including a twin laboratory block, an administration block, a multipurpose hall, and bursaries for students. She highlighted the importance of the newly acquired bus, noting that it will support students’ participation in co-curricular activities and serve the wider community in various ways.

“I thank the Malava MP for honouring his pledge. Our reward is simple we will continue performing well to remain a flagship school in Malava. I am confident because I have a young and dedicated staff ready to deliver,” Ms. Luvaha.

She further appealed for support to construct a modern twin laboratory to better serve CBC STEM learners, who make up nearly three-quarters of the Grade 10 cohort recently admitted, 347 students.

Academically, the school has recorded steady improvement over the years. Its mean score rose from 4.4 in 2019, when eight students joined university, to 4.6 in 2020 (12 students), 5.0 in 2021 (19 students), 5.8 in 2022 (44 students), 5.9 in 2023 (65 students), 6.7 in 2024 (110 students), and 7.4 in 2025, with 179 students securing direct university admission.

The school administration assured parents and the community of its continued commitment to hard work and quality service delivery to all learners.

CDF Fund Manager Humphrey Sechero praised Mr. Ndakwa for his consistent support of the CDF office since his election and expressed confidence that their close collaboration would continue to benefit schools and residents of Malava Constituency.

Other guests present area MCA David kivish nominated MCA’s Ryan Injendi subcounty education office TSC office principals from other school and parents