Past Directors

Joseph Kamiru Gikubu was Acting Director at Starehe Boys’ Centre from 2008 until the role of Director was filled permanently by Matthew Kithyaka in December 2009. As one of the original founders of Starehe Boys’ Centre, Mr Gikubu remains an active, iconic and influential presence in the running of the school.

An extraordinary life

Joseph Kamiru Gikubu was born in 1934, one of twenty children to his father’s five wives.

From his earliest days he showed great ingenuity. He grew vegetables, and every Sunday, sold them at the ‘Native Market’ in Nairobi. With his profits, he bought sugar, which he took back to his village to sell at a higher price to the teachers at his primary school - which also helped them to turn a blind eye to his frequent absences.

Standing up for his beliefs

Whilst still at primary school, Joseph joined the Mau Mau movement to liberate his country from rebellion – at great personal risk. And before he was even out of primary school, the elders had made him a full-time administrator.

With the declaration of Emergency, ‘loyal’ Kikuyu who professed their support for the government were enrolled into the home guard, and set to destroying rebellion among their own people. Kamiru was warned to escape, so he walked to Tanganyika where he joined his mother and brothers in temporary exile. However, his activities in support of the Mau Mau soon became known to the authorities. So he disguised himself as a Maasai, and returned in triumph to Nairobi on the back of a truck.

Early dangers

Back in his home village of Banana Hill, Kamiru woke up one day, to hear a European voice shouting at him to come out of his house. Outside were three Europeans and thirty-five home guards. His house was torn apart, and he was taken to Karuri Police Station where, rather than receiving the beating he was expecting, he was instead appointed to work for the inspector – an apparent demonstration that he had ‘changed sides’.

The object of the exercise was defeated however, by the secret Mau Mau handshake with which Kamiru greeted all his friends.

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An unbroken spirit

One day, without warning, Kamiru was locked up, arrested and taken to Lang'ata camp, where he feared he would be shot. Then, he and his fellow prisoners were chased by Land Rover to what is now the site of the Kenya Army Barracks, with warnings that if they didn't run fast enough they'd be run over.

On arrival, Kamiru and four others were branded ‘very dangerous’ and placed in separate underground sewers to prevent them from influencing the other men. They stood there for four days and nights, with filthy water up to their knees - after which they were restored to their friends who nursed them back to health, giving up their own rations to make them stronger.

Worse to come

Kamiru was then transferred to MacKinnon Road, then on to the Youth camp at Manyani; ‘home’ to some twenty thousand inmates, forced to sit all day in a crowded compound under the searing tropical sun.

After a brief period in a youth rehabilitation camp, Kamiru was returned to Manyani, where the daily horrors began to oppress him. He only narrowly survived typhoid and the brutality of the warders was constant... Only the arrival of the occasional newspaper helped to give life some meaning and purpose.

A fortunate meeting

Along with his fellow inmates, Kamiru would listen as a young detainee with an educated manner and a dignified voice translated English or Swahili Newspapers into the Kikuyu tongue.

His name was Geoffrey Gatama Geturo; one of thousands of young Kikuyu who had been literally swept off the streets of Nairobi during the notorious ‘Operation Anvil’ of 1954 – and who later went on to become a co-founder of Starehe.

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Griffin and Owles

In 1956, two young Europeans visited the camp at Manyani. They were identified simply as Griffin and Owles. They promised to take the inmates elsewhere and slowly began to build their trust.

Eventually, the detainees were moved to separate compounds. And in time, the first train-load of inmates left Manyani for Wamumu Emergency Approved School to begin a two-year course.

A template for success

Within a year, Wamumu became a staggering success; the barbed wire, the searchlights and the watchtowers were no more. The boys built classrooms and churches; sports teams and a Scout troop flourished. The youths ran the operations just like Starehe’s present day school prefects - and employers spoke enthusiastically of their ex-Wamumu recruits.

The ‘school captain’ at Wamumu was none other than Joseph Kamiru Gikubu. And this was the beginning of his life-long relationship with Griffin.

Today Joseph Kamiru Gikubu is the only surviving founder of Starehe. But with his wealth of 50 years’ experience, he is making sure that the Starehe name is flying as high today as it has always been.

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