- Thirteen Starehe Boys Centre students have completed a 1,100-kilometre charity cycling challenge from Busia to Mombasa.
- The initiative seeks to raise Sh10 million to support bright learners from disadvantaged backgrounds at Starehe.
- A former Starehe student serving in the Kenya Army facilitated the cyclists’ flight from Mombasa to Nairobi.
A former student of Starehe Boys Centre serving in the Kenya Army has flown 13 students who took part in a gruelling 1,100-kilometre charity cycling challenge from Busia to Mombasa back to Nairobi.
The gesture came after the students completed the Dr Geoffrey Griffin Memorial Charity Bike-Athon, an initiative aimed at raising funds to support the education of bright students from disadvantaged families at Starehe Boys Centre.
The cyclists embarked on the challenge on August 3, 2026, travelling through 19 counties before completing the journey in Mombasa. The campaign targeted raising Sh10 million for the Starehe Boys Centre education fund.
The gruelling expedition was held in honour of the late Dr Geoffrey William Griffin, the founder of Starehe Boys Centre and a lifelong champion of providing educational opportunities to young people from less privileged backgrounds.
Gruelling journey to Mombasa
After arriving in Nairobi from Busia on August 10, the cyclists took a day to rest before embarking on the final leg to Mombasa.
They eventually completed the entire challenge, overcoming demanding terrain, rain, dust, heavy traffic and long daily distances.
The former student, now serving in the Kenya Army, stepped in to ease the cyclists’ return journey by arranging for them to be flown from Mombasa to Nairobi.
The gesture underlines the strong bond between Starehe alumni and the institution, with former students continuing to support initiatives aimed at preserving the school’s tradition of giving deserving young people access to quality education.
The Bike-A-Thon is not only a physical endurance challenge but also a fundraising drive designed to ensure that students are not denied an opportunity to study at Starehe because of financial difficulties.
Tradition of giving back
Previous editions of charity initiatives by former Starehe students have similarly sought to mobilise resources for needy learners.
In 2018, former Starehe student Sam Kibiko cycled about 500 kilometres to raise funds for the institution, collecting more than Sh2 million from well-wishers. At the time, Starehe officials said approximately 70 per cent of the school’s learners depended on sponsorship support.
The Griffin Memorial Endowment Trust (GMET), established in 2009 in honour of Dr Griffin, has also been used to mobilise resources to sustain educational opportunities for academically talented learners from disadvantaged backgrounds. In 2019, Starehe alumni embarked on another fundraising campaign aimed at strengthening the endowment.
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The 2026 cyclists’ successful completion of the 1,100-kilometre journey has therefore brought attention not only to their physical determination but also to the wider cause of ensuring that financial challenges do not prevent deserving Kenyan children from accessing education.
By Kithinji Njeru
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