Why Starehe Girls is at center of admissions confusion

Starehe Girls' Centre Director Jane Soita (centre) with her students hold their Zayed Future Energy Prize(ZFEP) award on July 30, 2022. [Boniface Okendo, Standard]

Starehe Girls Centre (SGC) has outlined its long-established and distinctive admissions process, following confusion over the placement of students into its senior school.

According to the school’s Trustees and management, admissions are anchored on a rigorous and transparent application process that begins every year in March.

Blue application forms are distributed to junior schools through county education and administration offices nationwide, and applicants must indicate whether they are seeking full

sponsorship or a self-sponsored slot.

For girls applying for sponsorship, the process goes beyond academic merit. The forms are vetted by local leaders and religious organisations to verify the socio-economic

situations of the child and her family. 

According to the Centre, this step ensures that sponsorship opportunities are reserved for those who genuinely need them.

Applications are received and graded by category between March and October. After national examination results are released, they are reviewed again to identify candidates

who meet both the academic threshold and the Centre’s admission policy.

A key feature of the model is the role of self-sponsored students’ parents. Once admitted, they commit to sponsoring another girl from a disadvantaged background.

“This serves as a sustainable and community-empowering approach to providing educational access for needy girls,” the Trustees said, noting that the arrangement ensures that

every self-sponsored admission directly translates into a fully sponsored opportunity for a vulnerable learner.

This year, Starehe Girls completed the selection process for the 2026 senior school intake on December 28, selecting up to 400 girls to join Grade 10. Admissions strictly followed

the Centre’s 70:30 policy, with 70 per cent of students fully sponsored and 30 per cent self-sponsored.

The final list was drawn exclusively from SGC Blue Form applications and approved by the Ministry of Education before publication alongside other national selections.

The Centre has begun contacting parents and guardians of successful candidates with guidance on uniforms and next steps.

Last week, SGC clarified that earlier confusion arose after students were initially placed at the school through the national placement system without adherence to its special

admissions framework.

While the Centre supports national education standards and works closely with government agencies, it operates under a mandate that requires a carefully structured and vetted

process.

“The Trustees and management of Starehe Girls Centre regret the confusion that arose due to the earlier allocation of students without following this process, but this has now

been resolved,” the Centre said.