The provision of education in Kenya has been tremendous over the past years. Notwithstanding the fact that a major stride through the secondary education policy has been attained, the current indicators exhibit high levels of inefficiency. This is evidenced by high national poor performance in national examinations in many schools. The quality of education, including its relevance to the country’s needs has also been questioned. The study intended to highlight the role of leadership among secondary schools principals in improving academic performance among students. Leadership is viewed as an ingredient in accounting for differences in the success of schools. The study utilized quantitative survey approach and involved 364 respondents in Trans Nzoia County. The study found a positive correlation between the role of principals and quality academic performance. It recommended that school principals should be pivotal in transforming their schools into successful institutions through enhancement of curriculum, development of instruction and learning environment and leadership styles. Principals are pivotal in transforming their institutions.