By Hassan Adan

For years, the beginning of every school term brought anxiety rather than excitement to thousands of families across Mandera County.

Parents sold goats, borrowed money from relatives, or simply kept their children at home because they could not afford school fees.

In a county frequently battered by drought, poverty and insecurity, education was often the first casualty whenever households faced economic hardship.

Then came one of the most severe droughts in recent memory.

Livestock died in large numbers. Families lost their primary source of income.

Hunger spread across villages and trading centres. For many parents, the question was no longer how to educate their children but how to feed them.

More than half a million people were reported to be in need of urgent humanitarian support during the crisis.

It was against this backdrop that Governor Mohamed Adan Khalif introduced the “Elimu Kwa Wote” initiative, committing county resources to make public secondary education free for learners across Mandera.

The county set aside hundreds of millions of shillings through its bursary programme to ensure that children remained in school despite the economic hardships facing their families.

The significance of that decision cannot be overstated.

For the first time in Mandera’s history, thousands of parents who had spent years worrying about school fees found relief.

Children who were at risk of dropping out remained in classrooms. Students from poor households gained a chance to pursue their dreams without the constant threat of being sent home for fee arrears.

The true measure of leadership is not found in speeches, political rallies or social media campaigns.

It is found in decisions that permanently improve people’s lives. Free education is one such decision.

Roads can be built and forgotten. Buildings can be constructed and eventually deteriorate.

But educating a child changes a family forever. It creates opportunities, breaks cycles of poverty and gives communities the tools they need to transform themselves.

Recent reviews of the programme involving principals from all 78 public secondary schools in Mandera indicate that school enrolment has increased significantly since the introduction of the initiative, although challenges such as infrastructure pressure and resource needs remain.

Critics may argue that no government programme is perfect, and they would be right. Every major policy faces implementation challenges.

However, the question voters should ask is simple: Has the policy improved lives?

For thousands of Mandera parents, the answer is yes.

A mother who no longer has to choose between paying school fees and buying food understands the value of the programme.

A student who remains in school despite losing family income during drought understands its importance.

A parent who once feared seeing a child drop out but now watches them prepare for national examinations understands what the initiative means.

Politics often rewards noise, but history rewards impact.

Years from now, many political arguments of today will be forgotten.

What may endure is the memory of a governor who, during one of the most difficult periods in Mandera’s recent history, chose to invest in education when many families needed it most.

Does Mohamed Adan Khalif deserve a second term?

Ultimately, that decision belongs to the voters of Mandera.

But if leadership is measured by transformative policies that directly touch ordinary citizens, then free education through the Elimu Kwa Wote initiative will remain one of the strongest arguments in favour of his legacy.

Whether one supports him politically or not, it is difficult to deny that thousands of children have been given opportunities that might otherwise have slipped away.

And perhaps that is the most enduring legacy any leader can leave behind: not the offices they held, but the futures they helped create.