Learning at stake as Starehe Boys sinks into financial crisis

Starehe Boys Centre is grappling with an acute financial crisis, which could see about 600 needy students lose out on their education.

Once the country’s premier high school, the institution now depends on well-wishers to fund its operations.

Its acting director, Josphat Mwaura, told Citizen TV that Starehe has managed to raise Sh24 million out of a target of Sh150 million, which is required this year alone.

“Out of about 800 students who are beneficiaries of sponsorship, 600 are without sponsors,” said Mr Mwaura.

It has also been reported that the situation was aggravated by management wrangles following the death of founder and philanthropist Geoffrey Griffin in June 2005.

Founded in 1959 by the late Dr Griffin and the late Geoffrey Geturo and the late Joseph Gikubu, Starehe is a charitable institution that provides care and education for students in need.

The school has thrived over the years, emerging regularly as one of the top performers in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams, but has been on a steady decline since Dr Griffin’s death.

READ: Crisis at Starehe as workers on go-slow

The school’s top performance gave it the brand visibility it needed to attract sponsors.

“The founders had imprinted their mark on this school and once you have such strong characters depart, then sustaining that culture can be a challenge,” said Mr Mwaura.

The new management maintains that it is the gradual withdrawal of sponsors which has made it difficult to sustain its predecessors’ success.

“Our aim is to put that money to the best use possible; to apply it to the education and care of the boys and assure you (sponsors) that the beneficiary will be a transformed individual,” the acting director added.

The school is currently relying on the goodwill of alumni to keep it running.

In January, the centre defied a government directive to admit day scholars saying it goes against the school’s system of operation.