Central Kenya is home to some of the country’s wealthiest businesspeople, many of whom have invested heavily in the education sector.
These entrepreneurs have established schools that have grown from small nursery institutions into some of Kenya’s best-known private school brands.
In this article, WoK features eight famous private schools in Central Kenya and their owners.
- Pioneer Group of Schools
Businessman Peter Munga is the owner of the Pioneer Schools, which are located in Maragua, Murang’a County.
Munga is one of the richest entrepreneurs in Kenya and is also known for co- founding Equity Building Society (which later became Equity Bank) in 1984.
He started Pioneer School in 1996 on a former colonial sisal farm along the Maragua River.
The school was initially a primary school but later grew to become one of Kenya’s largest private school brands.
Pioneer School has at least five branches, i.e Pioneer School, Pioneer Girls School, Pioneer Junior Academy, Pioneer Girls Junior Academy, and St Paul Thomas Academy.
- Anestar Group of Schools
Anestar Schools is the brainchild of Anne Njeri Gatimu and her husband, Victor Njenga Gatimu, who started the school in 2001.
Anne, a former teacher, used loans to set up the business, which has now expanded into one of the most popular private school chains in Kenya.
Today, Anestar reports nine campuses and over 10,000 learners spread across Nakuru and the Coast regions.
The school’s main branches include Anestar Boys Lanet, Prestige Academy and Primary Pioneer.
- Nyahururu Elite Schools
Daniel Waithaka Mwangi, the former governor of Nyandarua County, is the owner of the Elite group of schools, which are based in Nyahururu but have other branches across Nyandarua and Nyeri.
Mwangi co-owns the school, which he established in 1981, with his wife, Keziah.
Elite Schools started out as a nursery institution and is regarded as one of the oldest private schools in Nyandarua.
It is also one of the few schools in Nyandarua that offers the IGCSE curriculum.
- The Foothills School
Former Kipipiri MP Amos Kimunya is the founder and director of The Foothills School, which he established around 2012.
You may remember Kimunya as a former finance minister during the Kibaki administration.
The Foothills School is located in Miharati, Kipipiri, Nyandarua County, near the Aberdares.
Foothills opened its doors in February 2015 as a boys’ secondary boarding school and began admitting girls in 2023.
It quickly became famous in Nyandarua because of its curriculum, menu, and modern amenities which were considered to be of the same standard as those of Kenya’s top international schools.
- The Green Garden Schools
The Green Garden Schools were founded by Prof. Peter Keiyoro and his wife Esther Njenga in 1991 in Kikuyu, Kiambu County.
The school has four branches: the Main School in Thogoto, Yellow Campus in Kikuyu, Purple Campus in Rongai, and a girls’ high school.
The Green Garden Schools has over 1500 pupils and has been recognized as one of the top private schools in Kenya by the Kenya Private Schools Association (KPSA).
Its curriculum features a strong robotics program, and it even represented Kenya at the World FIRST LEGO League Festival.
- Green Cottage Academy
The Green Cottage Academy was established by Rev. Peter Muraguri and his wife, Mrs. Judy Muraguri, in 1992.
The school, which is considered one of the oldest private schools in Murang’a, started out as a small nursery school running in a rented house in Kahawa West with only five pupils.
Currently, it has branches in Kiambu, Kahawa West, Kangema and Murang’a. Over the years, it has solidified its academic performance within Murang’a and Kiambu counties.
- Nyeri Good Shepherd Academy
Nyeri Good Shepherd Academy was established in 1993 as a nursery institution by three brothers, Thomas Gatura Gathu, Stephen Wanyoike Gathu and Peter Gatheru Gathu.
The school is based in Nyeri and has over 1000 pupils, with primary and secondary schools.
Its cocurricular offerings include chess, ballet, and music.