Kenyan Teacher Shortlisted For Ksh129 million Global Prize
A Chemistry and Physics teacher from St Francis Misyani Girls High School in Machakos has been named one of the Top 50 contenders for the 2026 Global Teacher Prize, which carries a cash prize of around Ksh129 million.
According to the Global Prize, Shalom Maweu Sila has been recognized for his revolutionary work in learning innovation, digital learning, and girl-centred STEM empowerment, which has altered education in rural Machakos County.
Sila is renowned for championing learner-centred and technology-driven teaching techniques at St Francis Misyani Girls’ High School since 2014.
This change enhanced girls’ involvement and achievement in Physics and Chemistry, which were traditionally viewed as male-dominated in his society.
The moment you’ve been waiting for! ✨
— Global Teacher Prize (@TeacherPrize) December 15, 2025
Meet the Top 50 extraordinary finalists for the 2026 GEMS Education #GlobalTeacherPrize, a Varkey Foundation initiative organised in collaboration with UNESCO!@GEMS_ME @VarkeyFdn @UNESCO
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Furthermore, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Sila was important in ensuring learning continuity across the nation.
He worked with 300 volunteer teachers to provide online classes using Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and other platforms.
The programme’s effectiveness prompted the Kenyan government to embrace it as a formal learning-continuity model, with Sila named national master trainer and champion teacher for Remote Learning Methodologies.
Sila has integrated virtual labs, gamified learning, livestreamed classes, robotics, coding, and artificial intelligence (AI) into his school’s classroom and afterschool programs.
During this time, girls’ enrolment in Physics increased from 9% in 2016 to 43% in 2025, while the proportion of students earning C+ or higher also increased.
Aside from academics, Sila is credited with overcoming social, economic, and cultural challenges faced by rural females.
He co-founded the Education Foundation, which provides scholarships and basic supplies to over 150 girls, as well as mentors kids through STEM Ambassadors and psychosocial support groups.
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“As a Teachers Service Commission (TSC) national champion, he has trained hundreds of teachers in digital pedagogy, supported ICT integration in schools, evaluated national livestream programmes with the World Bank, and helped retool more than 300 ICT champions across five counties,” the Global Prize described him in a statement.
If Sila is given Ksh129 million (USD1 million), he intends to develop a cutting-edge school makerspace as well as the region’s first Community ICT and Innovation Hub.
This is expected to increase digital access and foster future inventors, while also continuing his efforts to inspire rural females to pursue STEM and alter their communities.
IN THE NEWS 🗞️
— Global Teacher Prize (@TeacherPrize) November 25, 2025
The @ZiziAfrique Foundation spotlights 2019 #GlobalTeacherPrize winner @petertabichi, after he delivered a keynote address at the Education for Action 6th Biennial Conference in Embu, Kenya.
Read the full piece here: https://t.co/GQSftblIaH#InTheNews pic.twitter.com/QOAosdGa1j
Meanwhile, TSC congratulated Sila, describing his selection as an “incredible achievement” and a milestone for Kenyan educators on the global stage.
Kenyan Teacher Shortlisted For Ksh129 million Global Prize
