Dr. Geoffrey William Griffin, MGH (1933-2005)

Life and Demise

Dr. Geoffrey William Griffin was the founding director of Starehe Boys Centre and School in Kenya. Griffin was born on 13^th June 1933 in Eldoret, Kenya. He was the son of an English police officer, who went to serve in Kenya in 1919, and his mother was English, born in India. Griffin was first educated in Kitale School, before being moved to the Prince of Wales School (later named Nairobi School). While in school, he ended up being the school's editor, headed the scout's troop, and later on qualified to be Kenya's first King's scout. Griffin also became a cadet for training in the Survey of Kenya.

In 1952, after the declaration of the State of Emergency, he completed his National Service training with the Kenya Regiment, served in the Special Police Reserve, and was later commissioned into the King's African Rifles (KAR). After serving during the emergency and sickened by the brutality, he became convinced of Mau Mau’s cause for justice. Immediately, he began to participate in attempts to rehabilitate former fighters held and recently released from detention camps. As his humanity flame was ignited more, he turned his attention to children orphaned by the war, and he set out a rescue center, out of which grew Starehe.

Being an industrious man, Griffin never married. Heading the National Youth Service and Starehe was very demanding and they ended up taking all his personal life and time. Griffin was engaged and had a fiancee who left 1967. She realized that with such a demanding career, there would be no time for family, hence her departure.

Geoffrey passed away on 28^th June 2005, at Nairobi hospital aged 72 after succumbing to colon cancer. He had led Starehe for 46 years. He was buried on 8^th July 2005 inside the Starehe Boys Center and School. His burial ceremony was thronged by many dignitaries who passed through Griffin's compassionate hands. In attendance, the then Kenyan President, Mwai Kibaki eulogized Griffin as a true patriot and a great friend to Kenya’s youth.

The late Geoffrey Griffin's final words were read to the students during the burial ceremony, saying:

"This world is full of people who do their duty half-heartedly, grudgingly and poorly. Don’t be like them. Whatever your duty is, do it as fully and as perfectly as you can. And when you have finished your duty go on to spare some of your time and talent in service to less fortunate people, not for any reward at all, but because it is the right thing to do. Follow my advice on this and I promise you that your lives will be happy and successful. May God bless you all."

Achievements

• For developing Starehe Boy’s Centre and School and a believer in education, Griffin was awarded an honorary Ph.D. in Education by Kenyatta University.
• In 1970, he was awarded the MBS (Moran of the Order of the Burning Spear) by President Jomo Kenyatta. Subsequently, in 1986 he was awarded MGH (Moran of the Order of the Golden Heart) by President Daniel Arap Moi.
• In 2002, he was appointed an Officer of the British Empire (OBE) by Queen Elizabeth II. Afterward, a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights in 2005.
• On 19^th June 2009, President Mwai Kibaki launched The Griffin Memorial Endowment Trust to cater to the educational needs of bright but needy children. This was an attempt to preserve his lifetime efforts. In line with that, on Saturday, 21^st June 2018 during the 59^th Founder's Day Celebration at Starehe Boy's Centre, Nairobi County Governor Mike Sonko renamed Ngara Ring Road to Dr. Geoffrey William Griffin Road in honor of the Institution's founder.
• Griffin was the first director of the National Youth Service (NYS), which was established with the assistance of the Israeli government, and inspired by Nahal (fighting pioneer youth). As a distinguished disciplinarian, Griffin’s took the reins and steered the organisation through the early turbulent years to stability (1964-1988). This was after the adopted Israeli model failed.
• Griffin was a writer who documented his efforts in his book School Mastery (1994), he points out that basic needs are not enough for a poor boy unless one also educates him to stand on his own feet in life.

This memorial is based on content from Wikipedia. If you would like to claim this free memorial as a friend of family please contact us. Image obtained from Starehe Boys' Centre website.

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