The 2025 Kenya Primary School Headteachers Association (KEPSHA) National Annual General Meeting and Conference emerged as a defining moment for Kenya’s basic education sector, bringing together more than 15,000 head teachers and education leaders from across the country. As one of the largest forums dedicated to school leadership, governance, and financial management, the conference provided a strategic platform for stakeholders to interrogate emerging challenges, share best practices, and forge partnerships aimed at strengthening the sustainability of schools within a rapidly evolving education landscape.
Held under the theme Empowering Schools for a Sustainable Future, the conference underscored the growing need for innovative, technology-driven, and financially sound solutions, as schools navigate curriculum reforms, rising operational costs, and increasing accountability demands. Against this backdrop, Co-operative Bank of Kenya stood out as one of the most prominent and impactful partners at the event, reaffirming its long-standing commitment to Kenya’s education ecosystem.
With thousands of public and private schools already banking with or borrowing from the institution, Co-operative Bank used the KEPSHA forum to showcase practical financial and digital solutions tailored to the realities of school management. Its engagement went beyond brand visibility, focusing instead on meaningful conversations around financial sustainability, operational efficiency, and digital transformation within schools.
Speaking during one of the conference sessions, Mr. David Akumu, Head of Business Banking at Co-operative Bank, highlighted how the institution is supporting schools to modernize critical infrastructure without placing undue strain on their finances. He elaborated on the bank’s school bus leasing programme, an increasingly popular solution designed to help schools acquire new buses through a flexible and well-structured leasing model.
Under the programme, schools are able to access modern transport assets without the burden of large upfront capital outlays. Repayment schedules are carefully aligned with school fee collection cycles, enabling institutions to manage cash flows more effectively while meeting essential transport needs. This approach, Akumu noted, not only enhances safety and reliability in school transport but also frees up resources that schools can redirect toward academic and co-curricular development.
“Co-operative Bank remains fully committed to supporting the comprehensive school ecosystem through business solutions that are flexible, responsive, and grounded in the realities of school management,” Akumu said. “Our focus is on enabling schools to grow sustainably while maintaining financial stability.”
The conference was officially opened by the Cabinet Secretary for Education, Mr. Julius Migos Ogamba, EBS, who lauded head teachers for their resilience and professionalism in steering schools through the transition to the Competency-Based Education (CBE) system. He urged education leaders to continue embracing innovation, partnerships, and capacity building as critical pillars for improving learning outcomes and strengthening institutional governance.
In line with this call, Co-operative Bank also showcased its expanding portfolio of financial services aimed at supporting not only schools as institutions but also teachers and school administrators as individuals. Ms. Lena Yego, the bank’s Head of Retail Banking, emphasized that empowering teachers financially is central to strengthening leadership within schools.
“Teachers carry immense responsibility as educators, mentors, and community leaders,” Yego noted. “When teachers are financially empowered and supported, they are better positioned to focus on delivering quality education and providing effective leadership within their schools.”
She added that the bank continues to roll out personal banking solutions for teachers and school heads, including tailored savings products, affordable credit facilities, and digital banking platforms designed to simplify everyday financial transactions.
One of the major highlights of the 2025 KEPSHA Conference was Co-operative Bank’s announcement of a strategic partnership with Zeraki, a leading Kenyan education technology and financial technology firm. Zeraki provides digital solutions that enable schools to automate academic reporting, student data management, and administrative processes—areas that have traditionally been paper-intensive and time-consuming.
Mr. Zakayo Mwai, Co-operative Bank’s Head of New Frontiers, explained that the integration between Zeraki’s platform and the bank’s systems is already transforming how schools manage their finances. Through the partnership, schools using Zeraki can seamlessly reconcile student fee payments made through Co-operative Bank accounts, significantly reducing manual processes, minimizing errors, and improving financial accountability.
“This partnership is a clear demonstration of Co-operative Bank’s commitment to driving digital transformation in the education sector,” Mwai said. “By integrating financial services with school management systems, we are helping schools operate more efficiently and transparently.”
He further noted that the bank’s digital solutions are designed to be inclusive, ensuring that schools in both urban and rural areas can access reliable and secure financial tools, an approach that aligns with the national agenda of promoting equity, efficiency, and technology adoption across the education sector.
As the KEPSHA National AGM and Conference drew to a close, Co-operative Bank’s contribution stood out as both strategic and practical. Beyond sponsorship, the bank positioned itself as a forward-looking partner with a deep understanding of the operational, financial, and technological challenges facing schools today, reinforcing its role in shaping a more sustainable future for Kenya’s education sector.
