Story of Starehe Girls Centre

The journey of starting a girls’ school to compliment the successful Starehe Boys’ Centre started in the 90s with several efforts put forth by the Co-Founder and Director of the Starehe Boys’ Centre, the late Dr. Geoffrey William Griffin. These efforts started to bear fruit in 2003 when Dr. Geoffrey Griffin encouraged a group of women under the leadership of renowned educationalist, Prof. Eddah Gachukia, to make the dream of Starehe Girls’ Centre a reality in his lifetime. The Starehe Girls’ Centre Trust was registered in 2003 with the following as registered trustees Dr. Manu Chandaria (1st Board of Trustees Chairperson), Dr. Geoffrey William Griffin, Dr. Eddah Gachukia, Ms. Raychelle Omamo, Prof. Wanjiku Kabira, Mrs. Eunice Mathu, Mrs. Margery Kabuya and Mrs. Lucy Gitonga.

The Starehe Girls’ Centre was registered in 2004 as a charitable institution catering for bright and economically disadvantaged girls throughout the country and following the ethos of the boys’ school that advances the doctrine of “The Starehe Way.” The Centre equips the girls not only with an education but also the necessary life skills to enable them realize their full potential and elevate them to compete in all spheres of life.

The Centre’s campus is set on 55 acres of land in Njathaini, a serene setting in Roysambu Constituency, 18 kilometres North of Nairobi and five kilometres off Kiambu Road, a property that had been bequeathed to the Limuru Girls’ Centre by a farming couple, Mr. Duncan Gray and Mrs. Jane Auld Gray, for the purpose of furthering girls’ education. Limuru Girls’ Centre ceased operations in 2002 following 20 years of successful training of young women in garment making, beekeeping, farming activities, and other life skills.

The Trustees of Limuru Girls’ Centre included Dr. Manu Chandaria, Mr. Eliud Njoroge, Mr. Jeffrey Robin Mein, Dr. Eddah Gachukia and Mrs. Lucy Gitonga. After extensive discussions in several meetings, the Limuru Girls’ Centre Trustees headed by Dr. Manu Chandaria agreed to transfer the land to the Starehe Girls’ Centre since its mission was to continue with the education and empowerment of the girl child.

The founding trustees of Starehe Girls’ Centre were: Dr. Geoffrey William Griffin, Prof. Eddah Gachukia, Mrs. Eunice Mathu, Mrs. Margery Kabuya, Mrs. Honorine Kiplagat, and Dr. Manu Chandaria. Some of the Trustees, namely, Prof Eddah Gachukia and Mrs. Honorine Kiplagat have now retired from the Board but continue to be actively engaged in its activities, especially fundraising. The Founding Trustees worked closely with the second Director of the school, Mrs. Margaret Wanjohi, an experienced school administrator whose vision and wisdom helped to grow the institution guided by the Trustees.

The current board of Trustees of the Starehe Girls Centre are Mrs. Eunice Mathu as the Chairperson, Dr. Manu Chandaria, Mrs. Margery Kabuya, Dr. Julius Kipng’etich, Grace Madoka, Dr. Salome Gitoho, Caroline Kagendo Githinji, Dr. FCPA Anne E. Owuor, Mrs. Sharon D’souza Holi (co-opted) and the Director, Starehe Boys Centre, The current Director of the school is Sister Jane Soita who works with an incredible team of teaching and management staff.

For many years, the dream of starting Starehe Girls’ Centre was nursed by the late Dr. Geoffrey William Griffin, the founder of Starehe Boys’ Centre, without success. As he focused on helping boys, he also sponsored a few girls, some of whom were sisters of boys at Starehe Boys’ Centre, while in schools where they were admitted. Over the years Dr. Geoffrey William Griffin had accumulated a total of Kshs. 20 million from donors for girls’ education and he donated this money to the Starehe Girls’ Centre, which was used to build the first modern dormitory, an icon in the school named after him. This was an addition to the humble beginning of three small dormitories, four classrooms, a few staff houses, a farmhouse and offices that were inherited from the Limuru Girls’ Centre.

The Starehe Girls’ Centre is today an admirable institution with modern dormitories, classrooms, science laboratories, a dining hall, and playing fields. All these have been built through funding from individuals, institutions, and donors who bought into the vision of giving disadvantaged girls an opportunity to quality education.

January 2005 saw 72 young students from disadvantaged backgrounds join the Starehe Girls’ Centre. On 12th February, 2005 a welcoming party dubbed itega was held to officially welcome the first 72 girls. This inaugural ceremony was graced by the then First Lady Mama Lucy Kibaki, who was the guest of Honor. This function was attended by the late Dr. Geoffrey William Griffin who expressed his happiness at seeing his dream of starting the girls’ school become a reality. Dr. Griffin sadly passed away soon after that joyous event.