NAIROBI, Kenya – Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna on Tuesday welcomed Tenri Schools pupils Sally Mwende and Brydon Brian, popularly known as “Alo Alo,” to the Senate, marking another milestone in the viral school election that captured the attention of Kenyans.
The Embu-based learners toured Parliament alongside fellow students, with Sifuna sharing photos of the visit on social media.
The images showed the senator hosting the group in his office, where he invited Sally to sit in his Senate chair and spent time interacting with Brydon, whose “Alo Alo” slogan became an internet sensation during the campaigns.
Other photos captured Sifuna opening the door of his official vehicle for the pupils before they joined the rest of the delegation, while another showed the senator posing for a group photo with the students inside his office.
Accompanying the photos, Sifuna celebrated the young leaders’ visit.
“Madam President, Sally Mwende na Alo Alo mwenyewe wameongoza kikosi ya Tenri School kutoka Embu kwenye ziara ya Senate leo. We are deeply honored to receive these young leaders and wish them the very best in their future,” Sifuna said.
The visit comes weeks after Tenri Schools’ student presidential election became a nationwide talking point, with videos of the campaigns spreading rapidly across social media.
What began as a school leadership exercise soon attracted national interest as candidates rolled out creative campaign strategies, catchy slogans and spirited debates that many Kenyans compared to a real general election.
The race for school president featured Sally Mwende, Allan Njue, Kingsley Munene and Precious Nevina, each backed by enthusiastic campaign teams.
One of the biggest highlights of the election was the now-famous “Alo Alo” slogan, coined by Allan’s campaign manager Brydon Brian. The phrase quickly gained traction online, becoming the most memorable catchphrase of the contest.
The election was conducted in a manner similar to Kenya’s national polls, with the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission overseeing the exercise, complete with polling stations, election agents and observers.
Although the school later introduced an online voting platform that allowed members of the public to participate after the campaigns, only ballots cast by Tenri students were considered in determining the final outcome.
Sally was declared the winner with 230 votes, ahead of Allan, who received 189 votes. Incumbent Kingsley Munene finished third with 109 votes, while Precious Nevina garnered 39 votes.
The election drew praise from many Kenyans, who described it as an innovative way of teaching democracy, leadership and civic responsibility.
After the results were announced, Sally and her deputy were sworn into office, while Allan’s campaign continued to receive widespread admiration online, with many saying “Alo Alo” had become the enduring symbol of the historic school election.
Tuesday’s visit to the Senate capped off another memorable moment for the young leaders, whose school election resonated far beyond the classroom and sparked a nationwide conversation on civic engagement and leadership.
