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When Dr Raymond Omollo is explaining things, there’s an air of quiet gravitas about him.
Perhaps it’s the years spent crunching numbers as a statistician or the countless hours shaping policies as the Principal Secretary for Interior and National Administration.
But peel back the layers of his life, and you’ll find a man deeply rooted in his faith, family, and an unshakeable belief in the power of education.
“In another week or so, I’ll be celebrating my 45th birthday, so that just tells you how long I’ve been around,” he says with a smile, leaning slightly forward, his tone warm and reflective.
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Raised in the villages of Homa Bay and Kisumu, Omollo’s childhood was painted with both the hues of community and the stark realities of poverty.
When he was just eight years old, he lost his father, a tragedy that shifted his life’s trajectory.
We moved back to the village, and that’s when I truly understood what it means to survive on one meal a day.
Education as a Refuge
Education became his refuge and weapon for change. At the University of Nairobi, Omollo joined a pioneering group of eight students pursuing a degree in statistics.
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Before his tenure as a state officer, Omollo worked as a statistician and academic, leaving his mark at institutions like the Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative, the University of Nairobi, and the Lake Basin Development Authority.
As we speak, I am still a member of the faculty at Strathmore University, although I don’t get as much time to engage with the students as I used to.
His philosophy
Today, as a Principal Secretary, Omollo remains tethered to that vision. Being a PS is just a role, he will pass on to someone else someday.
PS Omollo’s philosophy is breaking away from the average, and rightfully so especially as a statistician. This, he says, gives young people an advantage over their peers.
Omollo often draws lessons from figures like Cristiano Ronaldo, not just as a footballer but as a symbol of discipline.
His coach says he’s the first to get to the training pitch and the last to leave. When he participates in a game, the results speak for themselves.
For Dr Raymond Omollo, mentorship is not just a talking point; it’s a way of life. After benefiting from being a ‘child of the community,’ he now teams up with friends and former classmates to support students, particularly with their high school education, by pooling resources.
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Growing up in an extended household, Omollo learned early on that life isn’t about individual success but collective upliftment.
There would always be people around, uncles, aunties, and cousins, and it helped shape the person I became.
The future of work
What happens when young people’s aspirations challenge conventional norms? PS Omollo acknowledges the growing surge in non-traditional careers but remains a staunch advocate of education.
As a parent, and of course now as someone in a senior position in government, I think it would not be proper for me to start advocating for people not to go to school.
However, in the current context of how the world has changed, PS Omollo also appreciates that education doesn’t always find you sitting in the classroom.
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While open-minded, Omollo balances progress with structure. “Not everything modern is inherently better,” he cautions.
There’s value in maintaining certain fundamentals, but that shouldn’t mean shutting the door to innovation and new ideas.