For 120 years, Maseno School has stood as one of Kenya’s historic learning institutions, producing generations of students despite infrastructure that has steadily fallen behind its ambitions.
Now, the school is set for a major transformation.
Maseno has embarked on a Sh4 billion redevelopment programme aimed at replacing its ageing infrastructure with modern facilities fit for the next century.
The first phase, launched during a groundbreaking ceremony at the school, will involve construction of 40 classrooms and eight laboratories, with completion expected within six months.
The redevelopment follows President William Ruto’s visit to the school, where the institution presented plans to overhaul infrastructure that has served learners for more than a century.
Maseno School Board of Management chairman Rev Canon Ambrose Weda said the school had reached a point where its ageing facilities could no longer adequately support its academic ambitions.
“The school has been in existence for 120 years. It is now in ruins, and when we invited the President, we presented to him our dream that the school needs to be renewed,” Weda said.
He said the renewal programme would cost about Sh4 billion, with the initial phase receiving government support.
President Ruto has committed Sh1 billion towards the programme, with the contribution complemented by fundraising efforts by former students and other supporters.
The project is being spearheaded by Maseno old boys and friends of the institution, led by Joe Ager, an adviser to Ruto.
Ager said the alumni opted for a comprehensive redevelopment after realising that repairing the existing structures would not meet the demands of modern education.
“We realised that the infrastructure that we have here has been here for 120 years. It has served its purpose, but it was no longer fit for purpose,” Ager said.
The redevelopment is expected to create a modern campus capable of serving future generations.
Beyond the classrooms and laboratories, the master plan includes modern accommodation for teachers, with housing expected to accommodate about 270 teachers.
A multipurpose hall with a capacity of about 3,000 people is also planned, alongside a sports complex featuring football fields and other sporting facilities.
The entire programme is expected to take about four years, although the first phase is scheduled for completion within six months.
Ager said Ruto had initially challenged the team to complete the first phase within three months, but discussions with the contractor showed the timeline was ambitious.
The alumni have also been mobilising resources to complement government funding.
By the time Ruto visited the institution on May 5, former students and friends had raised about Sh80 million through contributions from corporates, sponsors and other partners.
“When we started this project, we knew that you cannot expect the government to give you everything, and you cannot expect the President to give you everything,” Ager said.
He said alumni contributions would finance other components of the wider redevelopment programme.
The government construction team has also been involved to ensure State-funded components fit into the school’s overall master plan, while other partners, including Safaricom Foundation, are expected to support some projects.
For principal Peter Owino, the redevelopment addresses one of the school’s most pressing challenges: inadequate and dilapidated infrastructure.
Owino said the school had continued to perform strongly in academics and sports despite facilities that were below its needs.
“The only thing that has been lacking, and has been lacking significantly, is infrastructure. What we have had is beyond description. The infrastructure is old and, actually, dilapidated,” he said.
The school currently lacks a dining hall capable of comfortably accommodating all students at once, forcing learners to eat in shifts.
Yet the institution has continued to post strong academic results.
Weda said Maseno had produced 84 students who attained A grades, demonstrating that its academic reputation has endured despite its infrastructure challenges.
Owino said the redevelopment would finally allow the school to match its facilities with its reputation.
“We are excited as a community. The students are here, the teachers are here, and we are witnessing what we can call a historic renewal of Maseno School,” he said.
