Pokotom School in Turkana West region operates as three educational units—Early Childhood Development, primary, and secondary—within a single campus. Despite extreme environmental conditions and limited resources, the institution remains the only public secondary school in the area.
The school serves 1,600 students, including 500 girls and 1,100 boys, who face significant challenges such as overcrowded classrooms, lack of textbooks, and no electricity. Many students walk long distances to school, often wearing flip-flops or going barefoot.
The secondary wing, established in 2018, shares spaces with primary students, forcing some into cramped conditions. A single chemistry textbook serves over 300 pupils, while volunteers from nearby schools provide additional instruction. Despite these obstacles, the school achieved notable academic results.
In the 2016 KCPE examination, Pokotom School registered 51 candidates with scores ranging from 261 to 408 marks. Head teacher David Namoru Perkan attributed the success to community support and government policies promoting universal primary education enrollment.
Nakata Jemator, a Form Two student, described her struggle to access laboratory facilities despite aspirations to become a doctor. She sat for her Class Eight exams in 2016 and later joined Form One after a year at home.
World Vision Kenya has constructed two equipped classrooms for the secondary section, while Turkana West district education officer Ambrose Waswa emphasized the school's significance as the region's sole secondary institution. Improved infrastructure, he noted, could further enhance student performance.
