St. Paul Secondary School in Marsabit, Kenya was established in 1990 with the intention of providing Christian leadership to local, Catholic young men who in return would provide leadership to the region. Currently, the school has 180 students, ages 14 to 22, enrolled in grades nine through 12. St. Paul’s is known for its excellence and receives 300-500 applications from potential students for 50 available spaces.
The students come from nomadic communities of northern Kenya, which means they have makeshift homes near churches where women and children settle. The men—for some tribes, even women, boys and girls—generally follow animals in search of pasture and water. The families are financially poor even though some have dozens if not hundreds of animals (camels, cattle, donkeys, goats and sheep). The animals are considered to be a more prestigious form of wealth. Ninety percent of students end up with a grade average of C+, which is the minimum entry requirement for university studies. However, only about 40 percent are accepted into public universities with their average grade of B or greater. Students who aren’t accepted into public universities often end up in private universities or colleges, which are considerably more expensive.
Most students are the only ones in their families who have gone to secondary school. The greatest challenge students face in getting an education is paying school fees, in some cases because their parents/guardians are illiterate and do not value education. Fees are about US$800 per year, and the church provides a subsidy of US$200 per student.
Contact St. Paul Secondary School
St. Paul Secondary School
P.O Box 129, Marsabit 60500, kenya
Tel: 254 (20) 8150714
Cell Phone: +254 700 409 955(Headmaster)
Email: stpaulsmarsabit(at)yahoo.com
Br. Francis Njoroge(Heamaster)