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Squatting on a 10-acre parcel of land, St Peter’s Minor Seminary is among the oldest schools in pre-independent Kenya, having been established by the Catholic Church in 1937.
The school is situated seven and a half kilometres from Kakamega town along the Kisumu – Kakamega Road. You may have passed the school without noticing it due to a canopy of trees that envelop it.
Funny thing, ‘Sainti’ has no fence and like a police station, its gate is never closed. It doesn’t even have a watchman. The school celebrated its Platinum Jubilee in 2012 and prides itself as having empowered its students in three distinct areas: academics, games and spirituality, as well as four types of compulsory prayers: lauds (morning mass), angelus (midday payers) and night prayers at 10pm. Boys had to maintain a ‘holy silence’ (magna silencia) to allow for meditation.
All prayers are done in church. Skiving mass equals excommunication or temporary suspension. There is room for entertainment though. Every fortnight, the ‘Saints’ watch movies and ‘shake a leg’ to secular beats but must maintain magna silencia to reflect on holiness.
One myth goes that anyone who goes through the gates of a seminary school with the intent of becoming a fire-breathing priest but rethinks his commitment, will come out radicalised more than your average O-level graduate from a secular school.
Notable alumni include Butere MP Andrew Toboso, the late Butere MP Martin Shikuku, former Bumula MP Bifwoli Wakoli, music producer Taabu Osusa and activist Okiya Omtatah Okoiti. Others who were guided by the motto, Super hanc petram aedificabo ecclesia mea, Latin for “On this rock, I will build my church,” are Bishop John Obala Owaa (Catholic Ngong’ Diocess), Bishop Sulumeti (formerly of Kakamega), Bishop Morris Muhati of Nakuru and Kakamega Bishop Joseph Obanyi.
Among journalists who ate fried githeri on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the school are The Standard’s Luke Anami, People Daily’s Chris Oyuga and Citizen TV’s Alex Kubasu.
