Businessman and chair of Equity Bank, Peter Munga has expanded his investments in the education sector with a girl’s boarding school in Thika. The latest in a series of learning institutions under his investment, Pioneer Girls Thika, is expected to have its first intake on January next year and will offer the 8-4-4 education system putting more emphasis on leadership and entrepreneurship.
Standing on 75 acres of land with a capacity to accommodate 700 students, the facility is targeting both middle and upper class. The businessman has however not released details on the expected school fees and the total cost of the investments.
The expansion streak heralds confidence in Kenya’s high-end private education business buoyed by growing appetite by parents who want quality education for their children. “The decision to open Pioneer Girls School was prompted by our partners and mostly parents from our sister Schools who wanted similar model of learning now targeting the ladies. We also felt that there was an education gap and we had an obligation to fill in,” said Munga. The school will also be offering aviation and Chinese language. It is located one kilometer from Thika town.
Thika Town has been growing to become an industrial hub with a lot of industries and big retailers in Kenya setting their presence in the area attracting a good number of middle and upper class to the area. “The idea is to produce students who after the four years of learning can activate the same ideas and pursue the entrepreneurial path that has the potential to create new economies and generate employments to other people,” said Munga.
Munga has deep investment in the education sector having established Pioneer High School in Maragua, Murang’a County fifteen years ago that has a student population of over 2,000.
He is also the owner of St. Paul’s Thomas Academy, that operates also in the same neighbourhood. Pioneer International University (PIU), which is based in Nairobi’s Muranga Road, also belongs to Munga. The latter began in the year 2005 as a small tertiary college until last year when it received an interim authority from the regulator to offer degrees.
A number of investors have of late tapped into the growing opportunities in the education sector with the latest entrant being Nova Academies from South Africa which is opening its doors to the public starting next year on January offering the 8-4-4 system in an expansion drive.
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