St Francis Primary School in the Gatundu North constituency has been demolished to make room for the construction of a new technical college. The razing of the school structures—including classrooms, offices, ablution blocks, and recently completed Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) classrooms—took place on Thursday morning. The school’s over 600 learners are set to transfer to neighboring institutions such as Mang’u, Kawira, and Mwea primary schools when the next school term begins in January next year.
Area Member of Parliament Elijah Njoroge Kururia informed reporters that this decision was finalized following multiple consultative meetings with local stakeholders, assuring the public that comprehensive arrangements are in place for a smooth transition and continuous education for all affected students.
MP Kururia revealed that the national government is planning to establish the region’s first technical institute at the site. He confirmed that the Sh 300 million required for the project is secured, and construction is slated for completion by May next year. The MP justified the selection of the St Francis Primary School location, citing its suitability for a technical college, as it offers nine acres of adequate land and boasts easy accessibility due to its proximity to the busy Thika-Mang’u-Flyover road.
Furthermore, he explained that operating St Francis Primary School, which is only 100 meters away from Mang’u Primary School, was not cost-effective. The integration will see more classrooms built at Mang’u to handle the increased student population. Kururia anticipates that this consolidation will enhance learning effectiveness, raise performance standards due to more teacher hires, and ensure adequate capitation allocation, ultimately saving parents money currently spent on school contributions.
The MP emphasized that building a technical college in Gatundu North will significantly improve access to higher education for local students who have previously faced the burden of traveling to far-off institutions in areas like Nairobi and Ruiru. He noted that the constituency’s NG-CDF has paid Sh 30 million in bursaries to these external institutions—funds which could instead benefit local residents if a college were available nearby. In addition to expanding educational opportunities, the project is expected to create job opportunities for locals and stimulate broader development, fundamentally changing the appearance of the Mang’u area.
Local residents have welcomed the project. Resident Monica Njoki urged the legislator to ensure that the receiving schools are equipped with adequate facilities to comfortably accommodate the influx of new students. She specifically called for enough classrooms, lavatories, and appealed to the Ministry of Education and other relevant authorities to guarantee a sufficient number of teachers for smooth learning.
