How a student election in Embu became Kenya’s most followed political contest

The race featured four presidential hopefuls, each backed by energetic campaign teams that transformed the contest into a widely followed online spectacle.

For weeks, a student election at Tenri Schools in Embu captivated thousands of Kenyans online, generating the kind of excitement, rivalry and debate usually associated with national political contests.

What began as a routine school leadership exercise evolved into a social media sensation as candidates employed creative messaging, humour and friendly banter to win over voters ahead of the election held on Monday, June 15.

The race featured four presidential hopefuls — Sally Mwende, Allan Njue, Kingsley Munene and Precious Nevina — each backed by energetic campaign teams that transformed the contest into a widely followed online spectacle.

Among the standout campaign moments was the rise of the now-famous “Alo Alo” slogan associated with Allan Njue’s camp.

The phrase, championed by his campaign manager, Brydon Brian, quickly gained traction online and became one of the defining features of the election.

The candidates frequently exchanged playful campaign jabs, further fuelling public interest and drawing more attention to the race.

As the campaigns intensified, social media users across the country openly declared their support for their preferred candidates, turning the school election into a contest followed far beyond the school’s gates.

When voting day finally arrived, the process mirrored a national election in remarkable detail. The exercise was supervised by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), complete with polling procedures, agents and observers tasked with safeguarding transparency and fairness.

Such was the level of public interest that the school also provided an online voting platform for members of the public who had been following the campaigns on social media.

However, the online poll was conducted purely for engagement purposes and did not form part of the official tally, with only votes cast by Tenri Schools students counting towards the final result.

After the votes were counted, Sally Mwende of Team Sha Sha emerged victorious with 230 votes. Allan Njue of Team Alo Alo finished second with 189 votes, while incumbent Kingsley Munene, who had been seeking a second term, came third with 109 votes. Precious Nevina of Team Ground Ndo Kusema garnered 39 votes.

Amid loud cheers from students, the IEBC presiding officer formally announced the outcome.

“By the powers granted by the commission and the school administration, I declare Sally Mwende the president of Tenri Schools,” the officer said through the public address system.

The declaration sparked celebrations as Sally and her running mate danced with supporters before taking the oath of office at around 6.45 pm.

While their supporters rejoiced, rival camps were left to assess the outcome and contemplate future political comebacks.

Students involved in overseeing the process praised the credibility of the election.

“The IEBC has been fair in the counting of votes, and as agents, we have been there to see what is going on,” one student agent said.

Online, reactions reflected the emotions that accompany every election, from jubilation among winners to disappointment among those whose candidates fell short.

“We are not happy as Team Alo Alo,” one supporter lamented after the results were announced.

Others celebrated the outcome.

“Well, I was Team Sally, so I’m very happy,” another social media user responded.

Some supporters also dissected campaign strategies in the aftermath of the defeat.

“Makosa Allan alifanya hakupea Alo Alo u-deputy, hiyo ndio makosa alifanya,” one commenter joked, suggesting the losing camp’s mistakes may have cost them victory.

Beyond the competition itself, many observers praised the election as a practical lesson in leadership, democracy, civic responsibility and what it means to lose

“Hii ndio real CBE,” one user remarked, while another added: “This is how schools should practice.”

Others used humour to process the results, joking that Team Alo Alo might have prevailed had online votes been included, while some playfully suggested the defeated side should challenge the outcome through an election petition.

Interestingly, Sally had already prepared herself for either outcome before voters headed to the ballot. In a pre-election interview, she said she was mentally ready for both victory and defeat.

Reflecting on her experience participating in an IEBC-supervised election for the first time, she said,

“It felt nice. Putting a tick where I can see my name and picture was actually so nice.”

Moments after walking down a red carpet, Sally and her running mate were crowned the winners amid confetti pops and loud celebrations from supporters.

Besides the presidential race, students also elected leaders to various departments, including CSs for Entertainment, Environment, Dormitory and Library, allowing learners to experience a governance structure closely resembling that of the country.

IEBC encouraged other schools to invite its officials to supervise their student elections as part of the process of instilling democratic values in learners.

Nearly 24 hours after the results were announced, discussion surrounding the election remained vibrant online, with many Kenyans still debating the campaigns, analysing the outcome and celebrating what they viewed as an innovative approach to civic education.

“I have never followed campaigns and elections as I did this one,” one social media user wrote.

Another perhaps best captured the enduring sentiment surrounding the contest, saying: “And on this day, we shall remember that Sally won the elections, but Allan and the Alo Alo guy won our hearts.”