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BROOKLANDS BARAZA ISSUE 8 - JULY2023
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BROOKLANDS BARAZA ISSUE 7 - FEBRUARY 2023
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BROOKLANDS BARAZA ISSUE 6 - SEPTEMBER 2022
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Brooklands Baraza Issue 5 - April 2022
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Brooklands Baraza Issue 4 - January 2022
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Brooklands Baraza Issue 3 - August 2021
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Brooklands Baraza Issue 2 - March 2021
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Brooklands Baraza Issue 1 - January 2021
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OKT November 2020 Barua
The Duke of York School 1958
Optimum Kenya Trust and Msaada Kenya Trust Barua - November 2020
UK Charity Number 1154051
http://optimumkenyatrust.org
Lenana School taken more recently
John O’Grady writes;
Our greetings and best wishes to you all. This year has proven to be a pain in many respects and our old school, the students and the staff have suffered too. More on this later. I doubt if we shall escape a 3rd wave of Covid-19 infections here in Europe before an effective vaccine is widely available, so the pain will continue into 2021. As Old Yorkists and Laibon Alumni are, I’m sure, socially responsible people there is no need to ask you to comply with your local restrictions, but I do hope and trust that you will stay safe.
Whilst most of the planned education for 2020 at the school had to be cancelled, there has still been some activity there. As we wrote in our April 2020 Barua the school was closed down during the first term of the year but there have been activities during the closure of the school and I should like to include here a status report recently received from Frank Matua, the current Chairman of the Laibon Society, followed by some additional comments from Ronnie Andrews and Alan May.
Frank Matua writes;
Dear Laibon/Old Yorkist.
The year 2020 has been unique across the globe due to the Covid-19 Pandemic. This has impacted every aspect of our lives. Schooling has been particularly affected. The Government announced the closure of schools on March 15th 2020 as a key measure in curbing the spread of the Coronavirus. Lenana School served as a front line quarantine facility receiving 32 persons (21 men, 11 women) on 23rd March 2020. These individuals were housed in the dormitories following the Ministry of Health guidelines. They left the school on 7th April 2020. One member of staff was infected during the period and subsequently quarantined. He made a full recovery. All 42 involved staff members were tested. The school then was fumigated and disinfected in preparation for the reopening, whenever that should be announced.
Allow me to share with you a snapshot of the activities at the school;
1. School Report:
Re-opening of the school: School re-opened on November 14th 2020. This is limited to the KCSE candidate class with 380 form fours reporting.
In preparation the school constructed sanitation points – 60 fixed head wash stations, 20 foot operated and 110 standalone taps in the houses. The school also provided a pair of standard washable face masks for each student.
School Enrolment: The student population stands at 1604 boarding students. There are 82 teaching staff members (69 TSC, 13 BOM)
The non-teaching staff are 119. These comprise 69 permanent and 50 non-permanent.
Rebuilding of the new Tom Mboya Dormitory: The Government has released funds for the rebuilding of the new dormitory to commence. The tendering process is complete, tender awarded and site handed over to the contractor. Completion is expected within 6 months.
Strategic Plan: The Lenana School Strategic Plan 2020 – 2030 (L.S.S.P.) was launched during the 71st Founder’s Day held on March 8th 2020.
Adoption of the first School HR Manual in June 2020: This will guide all staffing matters in the school.
CCTV Installation: The project is almost complete and covers the entire school.
Catholic Chapel: Renovation to increase capacity by addition of a new balcony.
New Classrooms: The construction of 6 new classrooms were completed in April 2020 to address the current pressure on class size.
Irrigation Dam: The World Bank funded school dam project under NAMSIP (Nairobi Metropolitan Service Improvement Project) is now complete. The handover to the school took place on September 9th 2020. The dam holds 163,000 cubic metres of water for the school farm use and irrigation of the new golf course.
The National Junior Golf Academy: The construction of the new 18 hole golf course is well advanced. However, completion has been delayed by unavailability of funds during the pandemic period. The project team expect to complete the course early in 2021.
Boundary Wall: The wall is reinforced concrete posts and chain link. This has begun on the internal fencing (within the railway line). More than 2000 metres have so far been fenced. The Ministry of Education and Ministry of Interior are supporting this initiative.
Replacement of asbestos roofing: The work to replace the old and leaking asbestos roof on Carey Francis House was completed during 2019 December holidays. Mitchel, Moi, Kibaki and Kinyanjui, all staff quarters in Blocks 1,2,3,4.
Sanatorium: Approved as level 2 health facility and license received. Now awaiting formal recognition and certification by the National Health Insurance Fund.
New class room block behind former Thompson house.
2. Pending Projects:
School lighting: The school incurs very high electricity bills. The vBOM. is seeking partnerships to explore alternative energy sources.
Water: There is an urgent need to increase supply and storage capacity through sinking additional bore holes or construction of a treatment plant for the dam. With replacement of the old asbestos roofing rain water harvesting is also possible.
School fields: The school requires rehabilitation of the hockey pitches (4 pitches) and basketball courts (4 courts).
Internal surfacing of the roads: The school is in discussion with the Ministry of Works for tarmacking of the internal road network.
3. The Laibon Society:
The Society has focused on establishing new avenues to engage with the alumni during the Covid-19 period. The zoom webcasts have grown the direct engagement and broadened the physical reach of the talks. It has been great having Old Yorkists join in the discussions. We look forward to harness this and deepen the interaction going forward. These are a few of the new channels;
New Alumni Website: www.mylaibon.com
Zoom Webcasts: Hosted a total of 19 during the year. They are uploaded on the new website.
Regards
Frank Mutua
And now Ronnie Andrews writes;
Report from Msaada Kenya Trust.
Covid 19
Schools were closed down in the wake of the spread of the outbreak to Kenya and the discovery of the first cases. All schools remained closed until the second half of the year when there was some let – up by the Ministry to ensure that form 4s were able to take their exams and in order that the whole education system should not be mired in a jam caused by successive years pushing their way up through the system. As a result the KCSE exams will happen at the end of the first quarter in 2021. Distance learning has been next to impossible given financial and communications restraints, not to mention teaching complications in all but the private schools. The Principal has reported however that the teaching staff and pupils are better focused simply because they are able to benefit from classes of around 17 pupils instead of the usual 52 that would be the case were the school to be full. It is hoped therefore that the results will not suffer as much as might have been thought.
We still support 16 boys from needy backgrounds in payment of school fees and had hoped to expand the number this year but plans have been put on hold until things return to normal. Last year’s KCSE results were not as good as those of the previous year but several of the boys have managed to find places at good tertiary education establishments.
There were however more positive developments than negative in the course of the past few months.
The Dam and the Farm
Readers will recall the presence of a seasonal river running through the school and The Bundu, the indigenous forest that was so regularly used by the smokers and, at the other end of the fitness spectrum, the cross country runners. One of the more “inspired”, but really despicable, actions by one of the earlier headmasters was to cut the Bundu down (along with destroying the photo gallery, removing the school bell, disbanding prefects, attempting to stop rugby being played, etc., etc.) and to leave a vast area of abandoned land between Blocks 3 and 5.
As that fervour has subsided and lately been questioned, there has been a genuine attempt to protect the school land and to put it to better use. A dam has been built with assistance from the World Bank and its waters now cover a lot of what was originally that indigenous forest and much of the land in that area as well and that behind the Ridge and Block 5 has been turned to agriculture. Old boys have been involved in the dam-building project and the current principal, Mr. William Kemei, is at the heart of the farm development.
The Golf Academy
A project enthusiastically supported by H.E The President of Kenya, the resuscitation and extension of the golf course, albeit at the expense of The Oval, got under way several years ago. Developments included two new boreholes, extensive landscaping and plans for a fully fledged residential facility for learners and aspiring professionals. The grounds are in place and look impressive but the project has ground to a halt although there has been some correspondence of late indicating a renewed vigour in the committee handling the project. It is hoped this will move forward when things get back to normal and funds can be allocated to such endeavours.
Communications and our proposals
Much has been written about the contribution the late Dave Lichtenstein has made to communications among Old Yorkists and alumni of other Kenyan Schools he attended. His Xmas Barua was read widely and he made a great effort to remain up to date with the fortunes of old boys all over the world. Whilst that was an early stage dynamic communication, Andrew Hillier’s Old Yorkist website was the static equivalent and dovetailed well with Dave’s efforts in that there was always a reference point for Old boys who could find info about their former colleagues. These two main repositories of information were supplemented by the various websites for Laibon and Lenana Old Boys as well as the refurbished Lenana School website.
The Laibon Society has been extremely active and very successful during the lockdown period in linking with old boys around the world, selecting topics and presenters to put together weekly web gatherings which have attracted the attention and participation of hundreds of old boys of all generations.
This Barua and the combined efforts of the Trustees of OKT and Msaada have also been active in providing an update on the school and its scholars in order to ignite renewed interest and confidence in the ongoing developments as well as giving some news of Old Boys where possible. In the wake of the demise of Dave Lichtenstein much effort has been put in to seeking effective ways to build up communications and to this end discussions have been held between this group and Andrew Hillier to see how we can best cooperate in order to provide more regular output.
To this end too a new Facebook site (agreed, not everyone’s cup of tea) named Brookland Baraza Revisited (BBR) has been opened up to carry team and house photos from all generations of the school. The correspondence address is brooklandsbaraza@gmail.com and all contributions are most welcome and will more than likely end up on that site. It is also hoped that such photos will also end up on Andrew Hillier’s Old Yorkist website and eventually, some maybe, will be back on the wall of the school in a re-built gallery. It is also hoped that the school will then return to capturing its own history with photos of teams and houses on an annual basis as before.
One bit of bad news is the recent death of Bruce Dall who passed away two weeks ago in Mombasa after multiple and unexpected complications with health. A short obituary appears in BBR along with a photo of the school swimming team 1965. He was an exceptional sports man and an all round wonderful person.
The school is a dynamic and interesting environment under the leadership of Mwalimu Kemei. It is clean and smart and the boys, as ever, are a pleasure to interact with. If you get a chance, pay a visit to the Principal and ask him to tell you about ongoing developments and projects.
John O’Grady again writes;
As you can tell from all that is written above there is still much activity in support of our old school from both our fellow Alumni and our friends. Your help and any contributions you can make, whether literary of financial will, for sure, be much appreciated.
Alan May now writes some more, about communications in particular;
Communication
As you know, David Lichtenstein passed away earlier this year at his home in Sydney, Australia. He was a complex character with an obsessive interest in his past life in Kenya. In particular he was interested in all matters concerning the Duke of York school and, each year, he would compile and circulate an email, which he called his Sikukuu, detailing the activities and circumstances of Old Yorkists. His communication was of great interest to us all although, recently, it sadly reported an increasing number of obituaries. We shall miss him.
It would be a pity to allow that communication to cease, or not be replaced by something else, now that David Lichtenstein is no longer with us. The success of last year’s re-union at Taunton, UK, is evidence that there continues to be an enduring interest in staying in touch with one another.
For that reason, a Group of us, who have continued contact with the school, want to maintain the tradition of compiling and circulating information of interest to Old Yorkists and Laibon in two formats:
We have launched a Facebook page which Ronnie Andrews has already expanded on elsewhere in this Barua called Brooklands Baraza Revisited.
In addition we have plans to issue a Newsletter which will consist of articles and information provided by some of us Trustees, but mostly, hopefully, also by you. These Newsletters will be sent to you from this mailing list in addition to our bi-annual OKT/MKT Barua. You may unsubscribe from either at any time.
David compiled his email alone, which was a huge endeavour. We intend to spread the load by seeking contributions from you and from others around the globe. When you think about it, we have Old Yorkists in many different countries but we have little or no knowledge about them and their lifestyle. For example, it would be really interesting to hear from guys like Roger Maudsley in Brazil, Chris Greaves in Canada, Andrew Hillier in Australia, John Platter in South Africa, Ronnie Andrews in Kenya, to name but a few.
The range of information and activities that they, and others like them, could describe would be fascinating. Of course, we would still want to know when old friends have passed on but we would want the enduring mood of the Newsletter to be upbeat, interesting and, if appropriate, amusing.
Ideally, to share the load, it would be good to establish local co-ordinators who could suggest, collate and forward individual submissions to us. Please let us know if you are prepared to assist in that capacity?
During the Coronavirus restraints, our friends and contemporaries in the Laibon fraternity have made impressive use of Zoom facilities and discussed many topics of mutual interest. They have been very popular, often engaging over 70 participants locally and from the diaspora, including us on some occasions. They have become very proficient in doing so.
We utilise the same facility ourselves but on a much smaller scale. Clearly that is the way forward but, in the meantime, for those of us less familiar with the latest technology, we would ask you to engage with us by way of email to brooklandsbaraza@gmail.com. Please contribute if you can.
If, because of Covid-19, you haven’t done much of interest this year, in no more than 500 words, why don’t you tell us of things that you haven’t been able to do? For example, Nigel Gaymer got tickets to the Open Golf at Royal St Georges, Sandwich. Wow! What luck. Sadly, it didn’t happen! Grant Daniels, a Classic Car owner and motoring enthusiast, was frustrated at being unable to take his usual Group to the annual Circuit des Ramparts rally in Angouleme, France this year. What a shame, it looks a great event. Have you had any similar disappointments in 2020?
Covis-19: Golf event casualty
Following success of the golf event the day after the Old Yorkist Reunion last year, I was asked if I would arrange another one.
Given that participants would come from opposite ends of the UK, he chose to hold the event at the Abbey Hotel Golf & Country Club in Redditch, which, being in the Midlands, would be accessible for everyone.
It was originally arranged to take place on the weekend of 31st May/1st June 2020. Twelve eager participants were lined up to go. However, Coronavirus intervened and the event had to be shifted forward to 4th/5th October. In the intervening months there was some respite from a national lock-down but, unfortunately, nearer the time, further local lock-downs were being imposed so the event had to be postponed again!
This time, in frustration and in the hope that a vaccine might become available in the meantime, I again pushed the event forward to 3rd/4th October 2021. By this time the numbers involved increased to 13, with the addition of Ken Doig to the original David de Bromhead, Carey Keates, Ted Olive, Tony Saunders, Mike Wilson, Nigel Gaymer, Robin Crosher, Neil Morison, Grant Daniels, Rod Bridle, John Crosher and Alan May.
Hang in there Guys – we will get there in the end!
Finally, I regret to say that I too have another recent death to report of a fellow Kirkite;
Vice-Admiral Peter Dunt, an Old Yorkist,
died on 13th October 2020.
Peter was born in Liverpool on 23rd June 1947. He came to Kenya four years later with his parents and older brother John. He was educated at Kenton College and the Duke of York school. He was in Kirk House and excelled in sport often opening the batting with his brother for Kenya Combined Schools Cricket and played rugby for the first XV.
On leaving school he joined the navy in 1965 as a midshipman. By 1982 he was a Commander and secretary to Rear Admiral Sandy Woodward. During the Falklands war he was designated Task Group Logistics Officer responsible for the supply of everything from food to missiles.
He went on to serve on the carrier HMS Invincible with his brother John, which caused some confusion among the ship’s company. He subsequently became Chief Naval Supply and Secretariat Officer and then when Chief Executive, Defence Estates, responsible for an £18 million portfolio, he was promoted to Vice-Admiral.
Having left the Navy Peter had a wide range of jobs and charitable activities. In 2002 he was appointed CB and became Deputy Lieutenant Surrey in 2011. He is survived by his wife Lesley and their two daughters to whom we extend our sincere condolences.
John O’Grady now concludes;
To enhance our interaction and communications we seek your literary inputs via e-mail to brooklandsbaraza@gmail.com. We would also like to encourage you to become a local gatherer of such materials and even a local small event organiser for Old Yorkists and Laibon, if you would so wish. Let us hear back from you.
Our best wishes to you all. Stay safe.
John, Frank, Ronnie, Alan, Nigel and Alexander.