Cosmas Nabungolo reflects on three decades of triumphs as retirement beckons

It is a beautiful afternoon at St Joseph’s Boys National School – Kitale (JOBO).Inside Chief Principal Cosmas Stephen Simiyu Nabungolo’s office, the trophies do most of the talking.Medals and silverware sit prominently on his desk, each telling a story of another victory and another generation of students.Download our Mozzart Sport app for more newsNabungolo joined JOBO in January 2023, but his reputation as a ‘Trophy Magnet’ has been built over decades.From Kapenguria to Goseta, St Anthony’s Boys Kitale and St Peter’s Mumias, success has followed him wherever he has gone.Omanyala explains opening sprints club in St Joseph’s Boys KitaleBut sitting across from him, it quickly becomes clear that the trophies are only part of the story.The real measure of his impact is the relationship he has built with his students.He calls them ‘my sons’, reminding them that they are working for themselves, not for him.On this afternoon, as he addresses the boys under the scorching sun, some quickly move with an umbrella to shield him.##NAJAVA_MECA_10010096##“He takes care of us. Sometimes he wakes up at 3 am to make sure the chefs are cooking the right food. He attends training sessions however busy he is. He randomly checks on us during prep time,” one student says.For Nabungolo, these are simply the responsibilities that come with being a father figure to more than 3,400 boys.“I am glad they refer to me as a ‘trophy magnet’, but I think that has a lot to do with my impact and the work I have undertaken, both in sports and academics,” he says.His record is remarkable.At Kapenguria, he won the Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association (KSSSA) football nationals three times. At Goseta, he guided the school to the national final, losing to Kakamega High School (Green Commandos) on penalties.Inside Kamusinga’s plan to unearth sprinters who will carry Omanyala’s legacyThen came a 15-year spell at St Anthony’s Boys Kitale, where his teams won the soccer nationals six times, the hockey nationals four times, the East Africa soccer title and three East Africa hockey titles.At St Peter’s Mumias, he quickly made his mark, guiding the school to the Western Region title after a memorable 3-0 victory over Kakamega High School in just his first year. COVID-19 would later disrupt their national ambitions.Sport, however, has never existed in isolation for Nabungolo. He believes that to succeed in the field, one has to do well in class.©Tabby Nashipae“Along the way, sports has always punctuated academics. If students know they are doing well on the field, there is no reason they cannot see that same potential in the classroom. I have always tried to tailor the two programmes so that sports complements academics," he says.That philosophy has followed him to JOBO.When he arrived, the school was beaten by St Anthony’s in the county final. A year later, JOBO won the county title, reached the nationals and finished third before representing Kenya in Kampala.Then, in his third year, Nabungolo achieved what had never been associated with the school before: a national football title.Brian Tanga names coaches who shaped his trophy-laden career as he hangs boots“I am here at JOBO because I believe God purposed this. In my third year, I won the nationals, a platform that had never been associated with this school. Now, soccer is very popular here,” he says.But football is only one part of the JOBO story.The basketball team won bronze at the East African Games, the handball team finished runners-up, and tennis has also made significant progress. The school’s music band has won gold two years in a row, while French has also excelled.The philosophy is captured in the school motto: Only the Best.Nabungolo believes that pursuit of excellence must extend beyond the playing field.Kenya American Football takes major step into Kenya’s Olympic family“I would say I am tested, and my DNA is about trying to give my very best. I always say that I am committed to ensuring that we succeed in whatever task we undertake," he says.With more than 3,400 students under his care, discipline has been another defining feature of his leadership.“When other students are thinking about going home for half-term, the thinking among my students is, ‘Can we be different?’ Half-term will come and go. You are the person who needs education, and this space is about being in school and learning,” he says.As retirement beckons, he takes pride in a journey that has never been interrupted by student riots.“As I near retirement, I can say that there has never been a time when my students have rioted. We have walked this journey together. We have been friends and passionate about each other. I am simply a father figure, and this is my family,” he says.WADA unveils new strategy to tackle evolving doping trendsPerhaps that fatherhood is best captured by the way he views privilege.“I should not be at the high table when my students are taking tea without sugar. I would rather they have tea with sugar at the high table, and I sit somewhere else. Then I am content as a father because my family is good,” he says, comfortably swinging his chair.And perhaps that is the real story behind the ‘Trophy Magnet’.The trophies tell the story of what Nabungolo has won, but his students tell the story of why.