Table of Contents
Kenyan businessman and politician Jimi Wanjigi is calling for a national debate on whether to phase out boarding schools in favor of a day-school model, saying accounts from young people point to “traumatic” experiences and that the system should evolve with modern family life. His remarks surfaced in a recent interview that ricocheted across social platforms.
Wanjigi’s comments land as Kenya continues to bed in reforms under the Competency-Based Curriculum, which has pushed junior secondary classes closer to learners’ homes—an approach supporters say could reduce costs and improve well-being, while critics argue boarding remains vital in remote regions.
Wanjigi, 63, is a prominent dealmaker who has long operated through the family holding company Kwacha Group, with reported stakes over the years in Nairobi-listed firms. Earlier in his career he co-founded Bins Limited, often described as one of Kenya’s first private garbage-collection firms, and ran TYL Limited, a procurement and telecoms outfit tied to multimillion-shilling contracts.
He is also no stranger to politics. Wanjigi was a behind-the-scenes strategist and financier in the 2017 opposition coalition after earlier ties to the Jubilee camp, and he sought the presidency himself in 2022 on a Safina Party ticket before the electoral commission disqualified him over degree requirements. He officially took over Safina’s leadership in September 2025 and has signaled interest in a 2027 run.
Clips of his boarding-school remarks drew swift reaction online, with some parents cheering a shift to neighborhood schools and others warning that day schooling won’t solve overcrowding, transport and safety concerns. The Education Ministry has not announced any new policy in response.
