Trustees
David Kisiaky
Chair
David attended Starehe Boys’ Centre from 1994 and left in 1999. Prior to taking up his university place to study Law, he was selected for a student exchange programme in Gordonstoun School in Scotland, where a friend was touched by his Starehe-moulded life story, around music, culture, leadership, education and determination, and offered to sponsor his law degree.
He holds a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Sheffield, a Masters in Management, and is now working in the UK for a large software company.
Since joining Starehe UK as a Trustee in 2008, David has served as Treasurer from 2012 and was appointed Chairman in 2024. He has kept the Starehe schools close to his heart and supports all related good courses at every opportunity.
Geraldine McKibbin
Vice-Chair
Geraldine worked in the financial services sector for all of her career, ending with a senior role in Lloyds Bank. She managed programmes for the retail bank focussing on the people side of change.
She became involved with Starehe Girls in 2006 when, along with a group of girlfriends, she set up a charity supporting disadvantaged girls in Kenya. Providing each girl with a mentor and supplementing this with workshops in Kenya, they encourage girls to achieve their best and dream wide. Starehe Girls school was one of the first schools they partnered with and to date 1400 girls have been through the programme in Kenya and beyond.
Since finishing full time work, Geraldine is enjoying the freedom of self-employment, volunteering in UK and abroad, travelling and learning bridge!
Festus Maseki
Treasurer
Festus Joined Starehe Boys’ Centre in 2009 and left in 2012 going on to Kenyatta University to study a Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce – Finance.
Since graduating in 2017, Festus has worked as a Risk Consultant for KPMG both in Kenya and the UK and is currently a senior Financial Crime risk consultant in BDO LLP UK.
Festus believes Starehe School made him who he is today and as such he is very enthusiastic about matters Starehe. From those to whom much is given, much is expected and to give back to the Starehe Community he co-ordinates the Old Starehean Society alumni within the UK, bringing together old students from both Starehe Boys and Starehe Girls to raise funds to sponsor needy boys and girls in the schools.
Tim Faithfull
Tim is a non-executive director of a number of companies in the UK and Canada.
He worked internationally for Royal Dutch/Shell for 36 years, and was President and CEO of Shell Canada Limited when he retired from Shell in 2003. He ran Shell’s operations in Kenya between 1985 and 1989, and during this period he was Chairman of the Management Committee of Starehe Boys Centre. Tim has been a trustee of Starehe UK since 1996 and was Chair until April 2024.
Paul Whitehouse
Paul was founder Chairman of Starehe UK from 1972 to April 2013. Paul worked in a voluntary capacity as Starehe’s Assistant Bursar from 1963-64, and has raised funds for the school ever since.
Paul retired as Chief Constable of Sussex in 2001, and is the former Chair of the Gangmasters Licensing Authority.
Paul is also Chair of Friends Trusts Limited, of The Tim Field Foundation and of the Nacro Staff Benefits Plan. He is a former Chair of Trustees at Anti-Slavery International.
Lord Valentine Cecil
Lord Valentine is the fourth son of the 6th Marquis of Salisbury and a member of one of England's most prominent families. His family shares centuries of history with Africa that continues today.
Although primarily based in London, Lord Valentine has retained an interest in Africa for over 35 years and spends several months a year in the region, particularly Kenya and other parts of Sub-Saharan Africa.
Beyond his business interests, Lord Valentine is Vice Chairman of the Eastern Africa Association which represents the business interests of its members in Eastern Africa and Non-Executive Chairman of Brookwood Capital Corporation.
Canon Keith Price
Keith volunteered at Starehe for just over a year in 1967, setting up the Technical school and starting 14 Nairobi East Scout Troop at the Centre. He has remained an enthusiastic and involved supporter ever since, re-visiting Starehe three times and was one of the founding member of Starehe Boys Centre UK association Ltd.
He retired as a Project Manager in 2011 and has also just completed 10 years as a churchwarden in Bursledon Parish in Winchester Diocese. He is also a Lay Canon of Bukedi Diocese, Church of Uganda.
Helen Varma
Born and raised in East Africa, Helen Varma has a long-founded personal interest in the development of Kenya. Her connection with Starehe goes back to 1996 when she was invited to lead the first UK-based fundraising campaign for the Boys’ Centre; the highly successful ‘Aim High Appeal’. This was followed by the second successful ‘StareheFuture Appeal’, 2008-2011.
Helen has over 25 years’ fundraising experience, five of which she spent with Save the Children. Since leaving Save the Children, Helen has had a varied career which, in addition to running the Starehe appeals, has involved working as a respected and trusted independent Fundraising Consultant and Interim Manager. Helen’s expertise lies mainly within the humanitarian / international development field, with the odd foray into the Arts and Higher Education! This diversity is reflected in Helen’s client list, a mix of renowned ‘household names’ and organisations known mainly within the charitable sector, ranging from Cass Business School, the British Library and Dulwich Picture Gallery, to NACRO, Help the Hospices, AMREF Health Africa UK, Heart ‘n Soul, RedR UK, Children in Crisis and the Consortium for Street Children. In addition to her professional work, Helen combines Trusteeship of two other charities with her role as Trustee of Starehe UK.
Mark Webb
Mark was an IT volunteer at Starehe Boys’ Centre between 1994 and 1996, and for several years was responsible for volunteer recruitment at Starehe Boys’ Centre. He remains an enthusiastic and involved supporter of Starehe.
Vane Moraa
Vane was in the first cohort of students who joined Starehe Girls' Centre when it opened in 2005. Vane achieved a BSc in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Nairobi, Kenya before proceeding to the University of Edinburgh in 2016 to study an MSc in Sustainable Energy Systems.
Vane plans to use her knowledge to develop sustainable energy solutions for Kenya and the developing world. She is especially interested in off grid energy projects and other innovations around mini grid technologies.
To give something back to the community Vane founded Fly Sister Fly Foundation in 2011. The Foundation advocates for the rights of women and girls in marginalised areas of Kenya. This comes from the belief that a little support can change someone’s life forever.
Neil Andrew Scotney
Neil is an alumunus of Starehe Boys Centre class of '85. The school ethos Natulenge Juu “Aim High” under the Directorship of the late Geoffrey Griffin immensely impacted his approach to life. He currently serves as the Chair of the OSS UK Chapter with the support of the alumni in assisting the schools endeavours.
Neil is a current and long serving police officer with the MPS a role which he enjoys and equally appreciates its challenges in tackling societal issues. He briefly worked with the UNDP in Nairobi prior to coming to the UK to join his family and completing his higher education. He has also had his fair share of entrepreneurial management having been involved in facilitating FDIs, the import/export business in the horticultural and marketing industry. He is enthusiastic on developmental issues especially in the Sub-Saharan African region.
He holds a BSc and MSc in Criminal Law and International Relations.
Dr John Kibugi
John is a Starehe Alumni and an Emergency Medicine Physician working in the UK.
He attended the Starehe Boys Centre when all three founders were actively involved in running the school and thus got to learn the Starehe way first hand. John held the milestone school file number 6000 and spent six years as a day scholar in the school between 1979 and 1984 where he did both his O and A levels. He credits the school with unlocking his potential both academically and in extra curricular activities.
John went on to do a medical degree at the University of Nairobi then worked for the ministry of Health in Kenya for 3 years before moving to the UK to specialise in emergency medicine.
John has always kept track of the school’s development and taken on various challenges to raise funds for the school, including running both the Brighton and London Marathons.