Its current location in the upmarket Kizingo area on Mombasa Island is less than an acre, housing over 1,000 students.The government has pumped in close to Sh200 million for the model girls’ school relocation that now occupies 30 acres of land.
The new location is 30 times bigger than the previous space and will have the most advanced sporting facilities including an Olympic-size swimming pool, standard soccer pitches, basketball, volleyball and netball courts and a running track.
The institution’s Chief Principal Mwanahamisi Omar said that construction works of the ultra-modern girls boarding school at the new site is nearing completion and expect learners to start occupying the new premises next year.
”We are highly appreciative to President Uhuru Kenyatta who heeded to our pleas for more open space and made it possible for this move to happen,” she told a visiting delegation of officials from the Presidential Delivery Unit (PDU) at the new site on Wednesday.
It is expected that once fully operational, the total number of students will rise as there will be more accommodation room. By extension, it will support the Ministry of Education’s desire for a 100 per cent transition rate from primary to secondary school.
”We have many girls who have attained the pass mark to join our school, but we are turning them away because we lack adequate space to accommodate and house them,” she said.
”We are at 85 per cent of the first phase. Already we have 21 classrooms, several administration offices and four laboratories complete.The Chief Principal said that construction works at the new site started in 2018 after they were allocated 20 acres by the Shimo la Tewa National School and a further 10 acres from the Department of Prisons and Correctional Services.
In the second phase we are looking at putting up the dormitories and hostels for the boarding section before we permanently take up our position here,” a delighted Chief Principal said.
Mr Polycarp Onyango, PDU Coast regional coordinator said that the government was committed to finishing the project alongside other two model schools which President Uhuru had instructed to be put up in Lamu and Kwale counties respectively.
”The Head of State had told county leadership in Kwale and Lamu to make available land for putting up national model schools and already funding has been factored. There are 100 acres secured in the two counties for this purpose,” he said.