| Abstract
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The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of the person of Geoffrey William Griffin, identify and examine forces that accounted for his involvement in Kenyan youth education, interpret how the establishment of Starehe Boys Centre and School reflects Kenya’s educational historical context of the time and to obtain an understanding of Griffin’s insights on the Kenyan youth education. The study took the design of an interpretive educational biography. The research participants were those individuals with whom Griffin had interacted with in various youth educational programs that he was involved. These included alumni, administrators, colleagues, staff, and friends. Thirty-six participants took part in the study. Data were collected from both secondary and primary sources using a qualitative inquiry approach. The methods used in collecting data from the primary sources were life histories, open-ended interviews, participant observation, document, archival, and audiovisual analysis. Analysis of the data was done through biographical techniques of: consolidation, description, reduction, and interpretation. Among the major findings, the study revealed that the forces that propelled Griffin to be involved in the development of Kenyan education were: his early childhood experiences, early encounters with Africans in his work as a Survey Cadet, effects of the Mau Mau War, his experiences as an intelligence and rehabilitation officer at both Manyani and Wamumu, his activities as a youth colony organizer, and his leadership at the National Youth Service and Starehe Boys Centre and School. The findings also revealed that Griffin’s establishment of Starehe Boys Centre and School reflects Kenya’s educational historical contexts in both colonial and postcolonial periods in terms of its accessibility, equity, and quality. In addition, it illustrates aims and objectives of Kenya’s educational reviews during this period and its future prospects in both secondary and tertiary education. With regard to Griffin’s insights on Kenya’s youth education, the findings revealed that Griffin advocated for an education system that was international, pragmatic, democratic, character and benefit-based, attitude-changing, relational, wholistic, collaborative, and service-centered. From the findings of the study, the policy implications drawn were: The Kenyan Ministry of Education is required to formulate policies that allow: continuous reinvigoration and reviews of its educational programs, school administrators to use innovative leadership approaches that are collaborative and yield success. There is need for the Kenyan government to invest more in tertiary youth education. The study recommended further research in the following areas: historiographic significance of various African educators and their contributions to the growth of African education; quality of African education and its ability to address societal needs; partnering in educational leadership; and the place of relationality in education.
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