While the roar of the presidential motorcade and the high-octane energy of a State visit swept through the manicured greens of Maseno School Saturday, one man found himself caught in a quiet, temporal loop between the present and a storied past.
For Stephen Isaboke, the Principal Secretary for Broadcasting and Telecommunications, the visit wasn’t just a matter of official state protocol. It was a pilgrimage. As he stood alongside the President, the “Old Boy” was visibly moved by the sight of the school’s most silent yet enduring resident: the Oseno (Hickory) tree.
Standing over 120 years old, the Oseno tree is the very soul of the institution, having given Maseno School its name. To the casual observer, it is a towering botanical marvel; to Isaboke and his fellow alumni, it is a “living monument.”
“This tree is our compass. It tells us that while times change, values endure.” For PS Isaboke, who now steers the nation’s digital and broadcasting narrative, the irony was not lost.
Decades before he was managing the country’s telecommunications infrastructure, he was one of the thousands of students encouraged to “fetch stories“ from the shade of the Oseno. It is under these branches that the oral heritage of Maseno is passed down—a precursor, perhaps, to a career dedicated to the flow of information and communication.
The PS joins a distinguished lineage of Maseno alumni who have transitioned from the school’s “hickory-scented” halls to the highest echelons of government. The school’s tradition of excellence, often discussed in the shade of the Oseno, has long served as a launchpad for leaders.
Isaboke’s presence today served as a powerful visual for the current cohort of students. He represents the “flourishing memory” that the tree embodies—a reminder that the strength of the Hickory wood, prized for its elegance and resilience, is reflected in the character of the men Maseno produces.
The atmosphere shifted from nostalgic reflection to bold transformation as President William Ruto took to the podium to headline the school’s 120th-anniversary celebrations. Acknowledging that the institution has long outgrown its missionary-era infrastructure, the President unveiled a sweeping plan to rebuild Maseno into a modern academic titan.
“There is no reason why we cannot admit 5,000 students to this school to benefit from the culture of this great institution,” the President declared, pledging the immediate construction of 40 modern classrooms, with the first 20 to be completed by the end of the year.
He further committed the Ministry of Lands and Housing to build new dormitories for 2,000 students and tasked the Ministry of Education with erecting a state-of-the-art multipurpose hall, envisioning a future where “Maseno School will be the next Singapore” of educational excellence.
The vision for a “New Maseno” was echoed by Kisumu Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o, who linked the school’s historic legacy of leadership—from Jaramogi Oginga Odinga to modern innovators—to the current redevelopment efforts.
The Governor praised the launch of the Ksh 2 billion redevelopment masterplan by the Old Boys and Friends of Maseno School Foundation, noting that the school remains the bedrock of the region’s intellectual history.
“Maseno has always been a cradle for those who shape the nation,” Nyong’o remarked, emphasising that the modernisation of such a “citadel of knowledge” is essential for the social transformation of the county and the country at large.
For PS Isaboke, the day represented a perfect synthesis of heritage and progress. As he stood alongside the President and leaders like Energy CS Opiyo Wandayi and Education CS Migos Ogamba, the irony of his portfolio was clear: the man responsible for the nation’s broadcasting and fiber optics was standing at the site of his first lessons in communication, delivered under the branches of an ancient tree.
As the President addressed the gathering, Isaboke’s gaze frequently drifted toward the towering canopy. The tree has seen the school evolve from a colonial-era mission center to a powerhouse of modern Kenyan education.
“It has seen students come and go, and it continues to remind us of where we began,” Teacher Obiero remarked.
For PS Isaboke, the visit was a brief pause in a high-stakes career to reconnect with those roots. In a world of fiber optics and rapid broadcasting cycles, the Oseno tree remains the ultimate “server” of history offline, unshakeable, and deeply rooted in the soil of tradition.
As the motorcade eventually pulled away, the Oseno tree remained, its branches stretching skyward, mirroring the aspirations of the next generation of “Old Boys” currently walking in the shadow of PS Isaboke’s footsteps.
Reporting by Violet Otindo
