The National Chairman of the Kenya Primary Schools Heads Association (KEPSHA) Johnston Nzioka is dead.

Police said Nzioka succumbed to injuries after he was involved in a road crash in Athi River on Sunday, February 16 afternoon.

Police said his four-wheel drive vehicle crashed into a moving trailer on the busy Nairobi-Mombasa Highway as he swerved to avoid a head-on collision with an oncoming car.

He died on the spot. The body was moved to the mortuary pending autopsy and other investigations.

It is suspected he was also speeding during the accident as he raced towards Nairobi.

The accident, along one of Kenya’s deadliest road corridors, has once again raised concerns over road safety.

Police have since launched an investigation into the crash.

Nzioka who doubled as the Headteacher at Donholm Primary School in Nairobi was a seasoned educationist.

He had been a headteacher to various schools in the city.

He was also a vocal critic of the delayed capitation funds that have left many schools struggling.

Beyond his teaching duties, Nzioka has been an active contributor to co-curricular activities.

His leadership in sports administration has seen him rise from a Sub-County Chairman of the Kenya Primary Schools Sports Association to the National Vice-Chairperson of the same organization in 2015.

Additionally, he served as the Organizing Secretary of the Federation of East African Primary Schools Headteachers, further cementing his influence in the region’s education sector.

Nzioka took over as KEPSHA’s Acting National Chairperson following the retirement of Nicholas Gathemia on March 3, 2021. KEPSHA National Treasurer Kennedy Kyeva expressed sorrow, describing Nzioka as a pillar of leadership in the education sector.

“We have lost a visionary leader, a champion of teachers’ welfare, and an advocate for quality education in Kenya. His passing is a major blow,” Kyeva stated. Secretary-General of the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Collins Oyuu paid tribute to Nzioka’s remarkable leadership. “His diplomatic leadership skills, advocacy for teachers’ welfare, and ability to unite his members during challenging times will be sorely missed.”