History

Starehe Boys’ Centre was founded in 1959 by Geoffrey Griffin, Geoffrey Gatama Geturo, and Joseph Kibiru Gikubu, when two huts donated by Kenya Shell/BP were erected on a small site in a slum area of Nairobi to serve as dormitories for orphaned street children.

Primary education and simple trade-training began at once, but it was four years before Starehe was able to attain legal status as a school and permitted to enter its pupils for recognised exams.

Under Geoffrey Griffin’s visionary leadership, and with the backing of the Shell/BP Oil Companies, The Sheikh Charitable Trust, Save the Children, the Dulverton Trust and numerous other national and international trusts, foundations and charitable bodies, Starehe grew steadily in size and stature.

The Ministry of Education agreed to a sliding-scale of fees, enabling students from wealthy backgrounds to subsidise the free places, whilst also enabling boys from low income communities to mix with those from more fortunate backgrounds, and thus be more readily integrated into society.

In 2005, Starehe Girls’ Centre opened, welcoming 72 pioneer students.

Today, the number of students in Starehe Schools' care stands at almost 2,000. The school has an international reputation and has welcomed many esteemed visitors including President Mwai Kibaki, HRH the Princess Royal, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the late Mrs Indira Gandhi.