Education is seen as the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today. However, in Kenya, some of the 'passports' come at a cost that is enough to buy you a parcel of land and set up a nice bungalow upcountry.
Parents with vast resources, spare no cent to ensure their children get any advantage they can early in life, which translates to enrolling them in the most elite schools in the country.
On June 18, 2012, a pilot, Allan Root, made an emergency landing in a marshy area at a village in Mathira, Nyeri due to bad weather. When interviewed, he revealed that he was taking his two children Myles Root, 11 and Rory Root 9, to a private school in Nairobi.
This opened up ordinary Kenyans to the existence of a select group of schools where the term 'expensive' is redefined.
Here's a breakdown of 5 of the most expensive schools in Kenya.
5. Kenton College Preparatory School
Located in the leafy suburb of Kileleshwa in Nairobi in a 35-acre land parcel, pupils at this one-of-a-kind institution some of the most excellent facilities money can buy.
Some of the sports facilities at the school include an 8 lane 25m Swimming Pool and a full-size synthetic grass pitch.
Fees for children aged between 6-13 years average at Ksh1,921,500 per year.
4. The Banda School
Located on Magadi Road opposite the Nairobi National Park, in the tranquil suburb of Karen, this international school is ranked among the best in Kenya and one of the largest Independent Association of Prep Schools (IAPS) outside the UK.
Enormous effort went into putting up this international school’s infrastructure while peacefully co-existing with the wildlife.
Priding itself in being at the forefront of e-Learning in Kenya, all pupils in Years 6, 7 and 8 have an iPad.
Annual school fees for children aged between 1-13 averages at Ksh1,935,000.
3. Brookhouse Schools
This group of schools established in 1981 is synonymous with their yellow buses (before the Interior ministry gave a directive for all schools to paint their buses yellow) which are often seen plying the private residences in Runda and other leafy suburbs.
Its Karen campus sits on 14 acres, right adjacent to the Nairobi National Park.
Renown for producing some of the most gifted musicians including the late E-sir among a host of gifted alumnus, their on-campus Burudani Theatre is a world-class performing arts venue for music concerts, drama performances, and other activities.
In 2013 it was the venue for the historic inaugural presidential debates in the run-up to the Kenyan presidential election in March of that year.
Annual fees for children aged between 2-18 years averages at Ksh2,030,000.
2. Peponi School
Established in 1989, the school employs a few external teachers to promote Karate, Tae-Kwondo, Trampolining, Chess and even Pottery.
The main school facilities are utilised for activities such as swimming and tennis with the music department boasting of a world-class orchestra.
Annual school fees for children aged between 13-18 years stands at Ksh2,090,025.
1. International School of Kenya
This is currently ranked as the most expensive school in the country, and it quite easy to see why.
Nestled on 40 acres of a former coffee plantation in the Kitisuru suburbs of Nairobi, the school accommodates over 900 students from more than 60 different countries.
Some of the fancy and tasty dishes that the students can indulge in include beef stroganoff, pasta carbonara vegetarian, roast chicken drumsticks curry, sautéed vegetables, paneer jalfrezi among other international cuisines.
According to the school’s website, fees range from Ksh1.6 million per year for students in pre-kindergarten to Ksh3.1 million for pupils in grades 11 and 12.
A recent survey by International Schools Database shows that Kenya’s capital had the highest average fee as well as the most expensive fees charged, rivaled only by Cairo.
