He Came, He Conquered, He Changed Lives: The Enduring Legacy of Dickens Bula

By Godfrey Wamalwa 

As the curtains fall on an illustrious career in education, tributes continue to pour in for retired educationist Dickens Bula, a man whose name has become synonymous with compassion, discipline, and transformative leadership at Oriwo Boys High School and later Orero Boys High School.

For decades, Bula stood not merely as a school principal, but as a father figure, a mentor, and a lifeline to hundreds of boys who walked into his office burdened by poverty, fear, and uncertainty only to walk out carrying hope.

One sentence, simple yet profound, has remained etched in the memories of many of his former students:

“Go home and tell your mum we need the balance, then come back to school.”

In an education system where fee arrears often translate into exclusion and humiliation, those words became a bridge rather than a barrier. To many students at Oriwo Boys, they meant continuity, dignity, and a second chance at life. Former student Thuon Wach recalls that had Bula been like some principals, many learners would have dropped out and resigned themselves to fishing on the shores of Lake Victoria. Instead, they stayed in school and rose.

What made Dickens Bula exceptional was his rare ability to balance firmness with empathy. He was a disciplinarian to the core, yet deeply human. He enforced rules without losing sight of the struggles behind each student’s story. He knew students by name, understood their family backgrounds, and astonishingly, even tracked their fee balances. A glance at a student’s face was often enough for him to know who had erred not out of suspicion, but out of attentiveness.

For CPA Polycarp Rachuonyo, Class of 2010, Bula’s intervention altered the course of his life. Raised by a mother without formal employment and no father to support their education, Polycarp and his elder brother Felix faced the real possibility of dropping out. Bula refused to let that happen. He absorbed the burden, showed compassion where others might have shown rejection, and ensured the two brothers completed their studies despite huge fee arrears.

Under his leadership, excellence was rewarded and underperformance confronted head-on. Top performers remember the symbolic half-loaf of bread he would provide after every Continuous Assessment Test,a small gesture that carried enormous motivation. Low achievers, on the other hand, met a firm hand, because Bula believed potential was sacred and excuses dangerous.

Yet, even as he punished, he nurtured. Even as he demanded discipline, he offered love. His students learned values that outlived the classroom neatness, accountability, respect, and self-belief. Many still confess that they cannot keep shaggy hair or cut corners in life, because Bula’s standards became their own.

Today, as Dickens Bula retires, his legacy is not written in buildings or trophies alone, but in the lives of men scattered across the country—professionals, leaders, and responsible citizens who trace their becoming back to his office, his words, and his unwavering belief in them.

He came when many were vulnerable. He conquered despair with compassion. And he left an indelible mark on generations.

As he steps into retirement, the chorus from Oriwo and Orero is unanimous: thank you, sir. May good health and peace accompany you, knowing that your greatest achievement walks the earth, lives with values, and carries your lessons forward.