- Riara Group of Schools was founded in 1974 by Mr. Daniel and Prof. Eddah Gachukia.
In 1974, Prof. Eddah Gachukia acquired Balmoral Kindergarten then owned by an English lady. The Kindergarten was dedicated only for expatriate children as Africans were not allowed to attend the school.
The school was located along Balmoral road which was later renamed Riara Road in 1974. From its humble beginnings, the Kindergarten has grown to be a major player in the private education sector in Kenya.
Currently, Riara Group of Schools comprises of two primary schools, a girl’s secondary school and a University in Nairobi.
Asked the magic behind her success in business, Prof. Eddah Gachukia told howwemadeitafrica.com:
My faith; faith in God [and] in things I have not seen. Faith that is not shaken. In business you fail a lot, let us not imagine that success is always a graph going up. Sometimes you don’t succeed and you have to go back to the drawing board.
I believe I am also good at mobilising our staff to deliver excellent services. My husband and I decided that we will have only one standard: excellence.
Actus Education Holding
Riara Group of Schools was acquired by Sweden’s largest private school chain for an undisclosed amount of money. Mr Daniel Gachukia stated that this arrangement was not an acquisition but a partnership.
According to a statement to the parents, the Gachukia’s said that the new management will run the schools in partnership with their children, Juju and Alan, as executive directors.
A statement by Actus Education holdings’ Daniel Anderson read in part:
“For many decades, Riara has been a leader in the Kenya education segment. The Riara experience conveys values, knowledge and problem-solving skills at excellent standards. We feel honoured to work with the Gachukia family to continue the legacy and to achieve the shared vision.”
Part of the money injected by Sweden’s Actus Education Holding will go towards, “refurbishment of the existing schools will include a makeover of the existing campuses.
We will also invest heavily in curriculum enhancement leveraging on IT, state-of-the-art teaching methodology, robotics, cultural activities and co-curricular resources,” Gachukia said.
The fees is as follows (per term):
Standard 1-2-Sh79,000.00
Standard 3-4-Sh87,000.00
Standard 5-6-Sh93,000.00
Standard 7-8-Sh101,000 Next