Garba Tula now on the path to regain lost glory

Refurbishment currently taking place at the school. [Photos: Ali Abdi]

Once a national academic giant, it’s now home to snakes and bats. Structures and equipment that once shaped the minds of some prominent names, are today desolate. But after years of neglect, Garba-Tula High School could be on a path to regain its glory.

The Government has agreed to renew its national status. A nine-member team of old students visited the school and met Isiolo County Governor, Godana Doyo, with an aim of helping in its revival.

Garba-Tula was developed in partnership with the Government and local and then West Germany churches through the National Christian Churches of Kenya (NCCK) and the Protestant Agency for Development Aid.

Former President Kibaki laid the school’s foundation in April 1974 as the then Minister for Finance and Planning. An academic and co-curricular giant for two decades, it was envied in equal measure with giants like Alliance schools, Mangu and Starehe Boys among others.
It had one of the best physical facilities with 25 classrooms that could accommodate more than 800 students and special rooms for Arts, Photography darkroom, Home Science and laboratories. Others were an open-air basketball court, a gymnasium, a green house, zero-grazing sheds, a dark room, water tower, windmill and charcoal coolers among others.
The Alumni of Garba Tula, include Isiolo Women Representative Tiyah Galgalo, Marsabit Governor Ukur Yattani, Ethics and Anti-Corruption Chief Executive Officer Halake Dida Waqo, gynaecologist Dr Guyo Jaldesa and the Country Director Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition Adan Kabelo.

Others are MPs Adan Keynan (Eldas), Dr Mohamed Dahiye (Dadaab) and Issak Shaaban (Mandera Central), former MPs Abdi Sasura (Saku) and Titus Ngoyoni (Laisamis) who perished with four other legislators in the Marsabit plane crash of April 2005 while on peace mission. The school produced engineers, medical doctors, teachers and lawyers among others.

However, following years of being run-down, the school was closed in 2001 and stripped of its national status and reopened the following year as a district school. Students sat first KCSE as a district school in 2005.
Most of the beautiful structures are no longer in use and others in fair condition are today home to snakes and bats while equipment and furniture was looted. The school that relied on diesel powered generator lacked electricity while water became a scarce commodity, a factor that made parents withdraw their children.

The school bus and van broke down. A second school bus, sources revealed was turned into a truck and is
used to harvest sand in Meru County. Local contractors are accused of fleecing the school through shoddy work with some management members condoning corruption.

Between 2003 and last year, both Isiolo South CDF and the national government helped the school rehabilitate about half of its physical facilities to a tune of Sh50 million. The national government through its Economic Stimulus Programme injected Sh30 million, the Ministry of Education Sh10 million while CDF also gave out Sh10 million.

It was connected to national grid power last September, ensuring the school has electricity and able to pump water throughout the day. Recently, the school’s management and local Ministry of Education officials reckoned that the bad times will behind them.

Garba-Tula District Education Officer, James Murage told The Standard on Saturday in his office: “Making Garba-Tula a national school will be of great significance as it will have enough funding and will admit students from all over the country. Things are already good as the school has electricity and adequate water and nearly half of the physical facilities have been rehabilitated”.

However, the education official who was posted to the district last year, declined to comment on the mismanagement factor, referring the matter to the Ministry of Education and the Teachers Service Commission.

The school board, teachers, students and educational officials are now happy the twin problem had been addressed. “We no longer stay in darkness and go to the stream to wash clothes whenever the generator is not working. Electricity supply helps us to study well and get water throughout the day,’’ said a Form Four student.

With more students expected to be enrolled, there is need for rehabilitation of more classrooms, teachers and other staff quarters while furniture is also required by the current population. During our visit, the students were taking tea while standing as the dining hall lacks tables while seats are few.

Looting still takes place due to its vast but unfenced compound. A dormitory and teacher’s house which was among those recently rehabilitated was burnt down by unknown people. Despite reporting to police, the officers are yet to start investigation.
The school’s deputy Principal Boru Charfi says as a district school, it was forced to admit pupils from within Garba-Tula District, with most of them having performed poorly in the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE).

“Some students we admit during Form One intake scored as low as 150 marks. It is hard for them to cope and pass examinations at secondary level,’’ said Charfi. In 2010, the school had a population of 300 students but this has dropped to 160. Since its first Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education in 2005 as a district school, its mean grade had been below 5 with the group of 2013 posting the worst result with mean grade of 2.84.

The schoo,l with 15 teachers now operates in well-equipped facilities like laboratory and library. This year it has 51 candidates registered for KCSE—33 boys and 18 girls. Murage says the grand plan includes maintaining a district class until the current group is phased out and a girls side established within the same school.

“When the national school side becomes operational, we will have a district class for the students we currently have. It is also envisaged that a separate girl’s side is set up within the same compound,’’ he added.

Initial aim

Standing on a vast tract of land, the school lacks a perimeter fence, a situation that has contributed to students sneaking out of school and break-in from thieves. “It is hard for the watchmen to be everywhere. We have cases of students sneaking out and thieves stealing school property,’’ said Murage.

The school also lacks means of transport to ferry students and teachers during end and beginning of every term. “The area lacks regular means of transport and there is need for the school to have at least one in place. Our students do not go for field trips or participate in sports competition due to this factor,’’ added Charfi.
During his meeting with the old students team, Doyo said: “We agree with this process (of making Garba-Tula a national school) and we will be part of the process in every way, including financial help’’.

On June 2, nine former students met with teachers, students and local education officials and later toured the institution to assess damages caused over the years.

The team was led by Engineer Abdirizack Ali, Dr Njoroge Kamuri and Dr Isaac Bashir. Others were Col. Dr Japhet Mwenda, Peter Okinyi, Grace Wanjiru and Rehema Dida.The team was led by Engineer Abdirizack Ali, Dr Njoroge Kamuri and Dr Isaack Bashir. Other members were Col (Dr) Japhet Mwenda, Peter Okinyi, Grace Wanjiru and Rehema Dida.

Their initial aim was to tour the school with a view to establish what the problem is and report back to the association. “We are on a fact-finding mission aimed at establishing what are the problems and what can be done to revive the school,’’ said Eng Ali.

The governor urged old students to be role models adding that leaders and parents should undertake an aggressive sensitisation campaign on the need for promotion of education.
“Please find time and visit the school once in a while and talk to the students and locals. This will motivate them a lot,’’ said Doyo.

He also pleaded with NCCK, the original sponsors to help in reviving the school, adding that the local leaders recognise their role.

They donated a 42 inch TV, home theater for learning and entertainment, laptops, books for the library, foodstuff and sanitary towels to last the girls for two months. Speaking in Isiolo, the chairman of the alumni, Kabelo and members Engineer Ali and Dr Bashir said they will raise funds to buy the school a bus.

“From our assessment, the school urgently requires a means of transport and we intend to raise funds through harambee (fundraising) to buy one,’’ said Ali.

Through the same means, the members also target to buy books for the library and equipment for laboratories. On rehabilitation of the dilapidated physical facilities and erection of perimeter fence, the former students said they would lobby both the National and County governments and donors.

Provide mentorship

“The masonry work was well done by the German engineers and walls are still intact. The sewerage system, the water tower are among critical areas that require fixing,’’ said the engineer.

They intend to set up a network for bursary to assist bright students from poor families: “Most students especially from the pastoralists communities drop out of school due to lack of school fees and a network bursary targeting such students will be our priority,’’ said Ali.

To provide mentorship and give back to the community, the alumni will have regular medical camps in Garba-Tula town: “Apart from the overall benefit, the medical camp will be used as a platform to motivate students and teachers and create awareness on importance of education to the general public,’’ said Dr Bashir.