Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko has renamed Ngara Ring Road to Dr Geoffrey William Griffin Road in honour of the founder of the Starehe Boys Centre.
Griffin, who founded the Starehe Boys Centre in 1959 with the help of the late Geoffrey Gatama Geturo and Joseph Kamiru Gikubu, died in June 2005 after battling colon cancer for about one year.
On Saturday during the 59th Founders’ Day Celebration at Starehe Boys Centre, Sonko said the Ngara Ring Road will now be called Dr Geoffrey Griffin Road.
“I wish to let you know that the Nairobi City County Government has passed a motion in the County Assembly to rename Ngara Ring Road to Dr Geoffrey William Griffin Road. This will be done with immediate effect,” said Sonko.
In the ceremony attended by British High Commissioner Nic Hailey, Starehe Boys Centre Director Josphat Mwaura and several MPs among them Celeb Amisi MP Saboti, Sonko celebrated Dr. Griffin as a man whose wisdom and ambition in establishing the institution impacted positively on the lives of thousands.
The City Governors said Starehe has become the symbol of excellence, hard work and discipline that other schools should emulate to avoid the now common and emerging unfortunate trend of students senselessly burning their school properties.
“Let me offer a word of advice to our students, the parents and guardians have sacrificed for you to be in school because it’s a better option to arm you with education as an inheritance,” said Sonko.
Sonko said students should not be rebellious because of exams.
At the same time, the Nairobi City Governor said it is not right for student’s future to be decided by a two-hour examination.
“Therefore, the education system should use continuous assessment tests to grade students. Also, schools should look for the strength in every child and enhance it. If a student is strong in music, he should be encouraged to do music; if a student is strong in sciences, that is what should be promoted,” said Sonko.
He said in Nairobi, they have taken education seriously.
“We are the only county that now offers free Early Childhood Development Education, and each ECDE pupil receives Sh3,500. We recently launched full scholarships for 60,000 secondary school students. We are also investing heavily in our Technical and Vocational Training institutions,” said Sonko.
Hailey lauded the commitments the county government of Nairobi has put in place especially in education sector.
“The county Government of Nairobi has done a lot especially when it comes to matters of education. Let’s take studies with seriousness,” he said.
