Meet the Murang’a billionaire Mzee Gachukia, who built a vast educational empire with the support of his wife.

 

The owner of the Riara Group of Schools, billionaire Daniel Gachukia, had his fair share of difficulties in his early years. His education was largely made possible by his aunt’s opposition to her father, according to his book Homecoming: Through the Eyes of Three Generations.
Starting From Scratch
If the Kenya that optimists believe the country should ever happen, it will have to be like Daniel Gachukia’s story. The milieu in which Daniel Gachukia grew up had the potential to become a place where one’s tribe was the least distinguishing feature of one’s identity.

While residing with his aunt, Gachukia excelled in primary school and was enrolled on Machakos High School. Before enrolling at Makerere University, he attended Kagumo High School.
While on his way to Makerere University, Daniel met his future wife Eddah at Nairobi Train Station. On the train to the facility, they both had allocated seats.
Eddah started her teaching career in Thika High School in Kenya, while Daniel worked at Namilyango High School in Uganda, as well as Thika and Kagumo High Schools in Kenya.

Purposeful Husband-Wife Cooperation

The two teamed up to form the Riara Group of Schools, which now has a yearly sales value of KES1 billion.

The Gachukias are well-known for their contributions to education, diplomacy, journalism, and the arts. The Riara Group of Schools and Riara University honour Daniel and his wife’s business drive and towering success story in education administration.

Eddah and her husband took over a small kindergarten in Nairobi. The pair founded Riara Primary School. Eddah’s husband, Daniel, left Unilever Kenya to create the primary school organization.
The Riara Group of Schools has expanded to include a kindergarten, primary school, high school, foreign school, and the Riara International School.

The Influence of a Wise Wife

Prof Eddah Gachukia and her husband, Dr Daniel Gachukia, both graduated from Makerere University in Uganda and began their careers as teachers before forming the Riara Group of Schools.

Moi University’s first female Vice-Chancellor was Prof Eddah Gachukia, MBS, a professional educator and Academic Director of Riara Group of Schools. Alliance Girls, Makerere University (education), Leeds University (English), and the University of Nairobi Lecturer, where she lectured before joining UNESCO as a national consultant on population and development.

She founded FAWE (Forum for African Women Educators), which has grown to include 30 African countries. For her contributions to “education development, gender and women’s rights,” Kenyatta University awarded her a Doctor of Education (Honoris Causa), and the Dr Eddag Gachukia Science Prize at the University of Nairobi was named after her.

Couple’s Educational Philosophy

“The Riara Group of Schools was founded by Mr Daniel and Prof. Eddah Gachukia as a dedication to the holistic development of students. Riara’s educational philosophy goes beyond standard classroom learning and syllabi “According to a statement on the Riara University website.
The school has evolved to encompass six independent schools in Nairobi that provide both the 8.4.4 and British curricula and serve students from kindergarten through post-secondary education.
More information may be found at : Standard website