MAGEREZA
ACADEMY
ABOUT MAGEREZA ACADEMY
Magereza has come to existence through the efforts of visionary leadership and hard work. Just as there is no horse that gets anywhere until it is harnessed, no institution ever grows great until focused, dedicated and disciplined leaders are at the helm .An idea was mooted way back in 2003 when prison staff members desired their children to have an uninterrupted and quality education, a leaf they borrowed from sister disciplined forces. The Academy is along Naivasha-Nakuru highway adjacent to Naivasha maximum prison land.
I would like to sincerely hail those before us who came up with this great idea of Magereza Academy and sacrificed their time and resources to ensure that their dream came true. Just as a young man intent on bettering his life and earning a degree will hold a strong image of “graduation day” in his mind, these great men and women visualized an institution that would be a haven for knowledge, peace and tranquility for their sons. Whereas the majority of people will always see the obstacle that loom in their path, these truly successful pioneers saw real objectives, the goals, the reason, and the hope that lay beyond the obstacles in Magereza Academy. They did all they could with passionate enthusiasm, for they knew the future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams, those who see possibilities before they become obvious.
Our vision is that we are committed to be a model institution that creates an inspired and holistic global citizen. This vision is followed by venture or mission which is to provide quality education to students which will inculcate skills, knowledge creativity and moral values for sustainable individual and societal development.
Our mandate is anchored on the Ministry of Education goals and vision 2030, to ensure access, equity, retention, completion and transition of students in the education system .The school admitted her first students in 2011 as a boys day school. The year closed with an enrolment of twenty one students. In 2012, the school turned to boarding and the enrolment increased by 81.7%. Students dropout rates are minimal at 1.8%. Within the last two and a half years, the sponsor, KPS, is credited for the following achievements;
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Completed a modern administration block that accommodates the principal, secretary, deputy principal, school bursar, two HOD offices a kitchen, a store, washrooms and the staffroom.
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A two storey tuition block comprising twelve classrooms, two laboratories and ablutions.
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Two soccer pitches, three volley ball pitches, two hand ball courts and one netball court.
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Temporary kitchen.
Currently the main challenge for the school is to put in place the following amenities;
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Modern hostels.
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Modern library.
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Modern kitchen and dining hall.
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Staff quarters.
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Basket ball court, hockey pitch, lawn tennis court and a swimming pool.
Our roadmap to achieving this is total cooperation by all stakeholders, donations by well wishers, friends of the school, parents development funds, income generating activities and grants from the MOE. This collective effort of all persons will certainly bear fruits.
PRINCIPAL
GEOGRAPHICAL STATUS
Magereza Academy sits on one hundred acres within Naivasha Maximum Security prison in Naivasha district, Nakuru County; about two kilometers from Naivasha town .The area is relatively warm and fairly dry.
Our History
Magereza Academy sits on one hundred acres within Naivasha Maximum Security prison in Naivasha district, Nakuru County. We would like to view the past as a spring board and not a hammock and that pessimism never won any battles. Prison staff members desired their children to have an uninterrupted and quality education. This was necessitated by the fact that prison staff members who are transferred from one station to another experienced challenges of securing chances in schools for their children.
In 2003 the then Commissioner of Prison Mr. Abraham Kamakil constituted a committee of senior officers to explore the possibility of the “dream come true”. In October 2005 the department in conjunction with the office of the vice president and Ministry of home affairs proposed to establish Magereza Academy to cater for prison staff children. For the dream to be realized the team knew well that they had to start with what they had and not what they didn’t have, a 100 Acres of land was availed at Naivasha Maximum security Prison.
In October 2006 the commissioner of Prison then Mr. Gilbert Omondi MBS, the permanent secretary M.O.H.A, the vice president and members of staff agreed to raise funds for the proposed academy. With the knowledge that there are no unimportant people and that although we are different, no mixture is insignificant, the commissioner of Prison directed the provincial prisons commander and the Officers In charge to move around stations sensitizing staff members on the proposed academy and its importance to the children.
On 16th Nov, 2007 the then Vice President and Minister for home affairs Hon. Dr. A.A Moody Awori presided over a harambee at the proposed site for the Academy. The fund raiser, in which staff members had contributed between Ksh.1,000 and Kshs. 6,000 depending on the rank realized Kshs. 25,326,078.00. This was a prove that driven by passionate conviction, we can do anything we want with our lives, our money, our time etc except we give up on the things we care much about. It became clear that one person with passion is greater than the passive force of ninety-nine who have only an interest. All the prison staff and the Vice President were not only interested to have an academy but also had a passion which they added to a belief and got convicted. This brought persistent action by having the construction started.
On 31st Jan, 2009 the Vice President and Minister for home affairs Hon. Dr. Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka presided over the laying of the foundation stone at the site. The sun had finally risen and we had to look to the East to see the sunrise. Decisions determines destiny and we were on the road to birthing our Magereza Academy. The Academy implementation committee chaired by D.C.P John Matheri and Ag S.D.C.P Benjamin Njoga as the treasurer has since then spearheaded the construction work to date.
The Commissioner of Prison Mr. Isaiah M. Osugo OGW has been on the fore front to ensure that the ultimate commitment, vigour and passion does not wane, or get derailed. He has frequently visited the site and given invaluable advice on the way forward. His forthright enthusiasm cannot be over emphasized. He has inspired other officers and boosted their morale.The officer in charge Naivasha main prison ACP Patrick Mwenda and the officer in charge medium SSP Yusuf Kaitopok have been very faithful and committed supervisors on the ground.
On 6th Jan, 2011, the principal Mr. Macharia S.W was deployed to head the Academy. The Ministry of Education has always played a critical role and the D.E.O Mr. Mattew Aboka made constant visits to assess the progress.
On 22nd Jan, 2011, representative members of staff from all prisons within Kenya visited the site to assess the progress and unanimously agreed to furter contribute over twenty million shillings with each member contributing between Kshs.1,000 and Kshs.6,000 for the lowest cadre and highest rank respectively. The decision was arrived at so as to check the prolonged idleness which could paralyze the grand initiative.