UNESCO (1996) notes that education systems nearly everywhere are managed poorly and administered inefficiently. Despite the enormous expectations of school principals, many are not fully prepared for the task. The headship of secondary schools in Kenya is usually a product of the teaching force. Teachers, who have spent a minimum of ten years in service, are usually appointed as principals and deputy principals of secondary schools. Thus years of experience remain the major yardstick for appointment into the position of principal as opposed to relevant skills and qualifications. This paper seeks to identify the many challenges faced by Principals as HRMs in performing their roles. The target population was 140 secondary school principals drawn from Nandi County. Census sampling was used to select the study sample. Data collection was done using self-administered questionnaire. Coding of responses was done using Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS). The paper points out that: empowerment of the staff, team management and career development among others, as challenges resulting from inadequate training. The study recommends introduction of HRM courses in Teacher Training Colleges.
Keywords: Challenge, Human Resource Managers, Principals, Roles, Secondary School
