For more than eight decades, Nyali School in Mombasa stood as a symbol of academic excellence in the Coast region.
Its classrooms nurtured generations of children from some of the region’s most influential families, including politicians, senior government officials, military officers, business executives, diplomats and expatriates.
For many parents, securing a place at the prestigious institution was both a mark of status and an investment in a child’s future. Today, however, the once-thriving school finds itself fighting for survival.
Years of leadership wrangles, court battles, corruption allegations, and internal divisions have pushed the institution into one of the darkest periods in its history.
Parents storm Nyali School in Mombasa after the school teachers and subordinate staff went on strike over non-payment of salaries in this photo taken on June 12, 2026.
Photo credit: Kevin Odit| Nation Media Group
Staff at the school complain that salaries have sometimes gone unpaid for months, learner enrolment has nearly halved, and the school’s reputation has suffered as rival factions battle for control of its vast assets.
“We have staff whose houses have been locked due to rent dues. Accounts were frozen; we lack salaries, how do you want us to survive with our families? Our Sh4.5 million has gone to the drain, our pension has not been remitted for the last 16 months,” said Ms Jecinta Mwangi, the longest-serving teacher and staff chairperson.
She added that the school has salary arrears of over Sh9 million, accumulated during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Founded in 1942 as the Mombasa Parents Club Kindergarten, the institution was established during the Second World War to provide childcare and early education for children in Mombasa at a time when many women had joined the workforce and the town’s population was rapidly expanding.
The rise and brewing tension
In January 1986, Nyali Primary School was opened, creating a seamless transition for pupils graduating from kindergarten, according to its website. Owned and managed by the Mombasa Parents Club, the institution quickly built a reputation for academic excellence and holistic education.
For decades, it remained one of the most sought-after schools at the Coast. Parents pay Sh120,000 to be members of the club that manages the school.
But beneath the success, tensions have been brewing. For nearly ten years, the school has been embroiled in bitter leadership disputes that have repeatedly ended up in court.
The wrangles paralysed decision-making and disrupted normal operations, leaving parents, teachers and learners caught in the middle.
Parents storm Nyali School in Mombasa after the school teachers and subordinate staff went on strike over non-payment of salaries in this photo taken on June 12, 2026.
Photo credit: Kevin Odit| Nation Media Group
The consequences have been severe. Teachers in the school confided to the Nation that enrolment has dropped from about 1,300 learners to nearly 700. Some of its best teachers have also left, and uncertainty has driven parents to transfer their children elsewhere.
At the centre of the battle is control of assets estimated to be worth billions of shillings. Stakeholders point to a bank account reportedly holding more than Sh100 million annually, prime land in Nyali valued at over Sh1 billion, and other lucrative investments as issues fueling the prolonged power struggle.
Facilities have deteriorated; sanitation blocks, desks, and even the swimming pool are in disrepair.
Nyali School owns land in Mavueni, Kilifi County, earmarked for a modern secondary school akin to Kabarak High, but development has stalled amid disputes. Police are also investigating alleged corruption in the school’s accounts.
The school has also faced financial challenges, including fee arrears running into hundreds of thousands of shillings per learner. Some parents reportedly owe more than Sh300,000 in outstanding fees, further straining the institution’s finances.
Influential individuals allegedly acquired part of the institution’s land questionably and have since developed multimillion-shilling homes on the disputed property.
The latest chapter in the school’s turbulent history unfolded during elections conducted under court orders during the weekend to choose new leadership for the Mombasa Parents Club.
The polls, which attracted intense interest from parents and stakeholders, were conducted by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) and heavily guarded by police officers. More than ten officers were deployed to oversee the exercise, reflecting the high stakes involved.
“The problem here is management. Parents have been having issues with the leadership over time, so they decided to solve the matter by electing a new office after IEBC was mandated to preside over the election,” said Mr Edward Kamadi, a parent and club member.
Parents, including politicians and businessmen, parked their high-end cars at the school compound, ready to elect a new office.
After ten tense hours, Mr Fahmi Salim, a 40-year-old businessman and former student of the institution, emerged victorious. His opponent left soon after.
Mr Salim’s election has raised hopes among parents and staff who believe fresh leadership could stabilise the school and restore confidence in its management.
“This is a new start for Nyali. Thank you, parents, for believing in me. Campaigns are over, now let me deliver. I promise you this is a new beginning for Nyali. Whether you voted for us or not, we are all one. The agenda is to unite all parents and take this school forward,” he said.
He also pledged to improve the welfare of both teaching and non-teaching staff, many of whom have struggled through months of financial uncertainty.
Mr Salim disclosed that he has been using his own money to partially fund the school during the wrangles. He extended an olive branch to his opponents, acknowledging that the heated campaign period had created divisions among members.
“Under my watch, no teacher, non-teaching staff member or management official will struggle. In the last two months I have managed the school using my own finances. We must take this school forward,” he said.
But the election itself was not without controversy. Initially, both Mr Salim and his main rival, Mr Rajab Hamis, were disqualified by IEBC on grounds that they did not meet the requirements outlined in the club’s constitution, as declared by a court order.
Candidates seeking the chairmanship were required to have been club members for at least three years and to have served in the outgoing management committee for a minimum of two years.
The two challenged the decision, and the court eventually allowed both candidates to participate in the elections. Mr Salim accused “cartels” of fighting him.
“People thrive in division in this school; I am being fought by cartels who are not paying fees; that is the reality. I respect my opponent, but he vanished when troubles began in this school.
“Our school accounts have been frozen for the last one and a half months; parents have been paying to regulate the fuel. Where was my opponent?” he asked, amidst chants by his supporters.
His opponent, Mr Hamis, called for peaceful collaboration between parents, teachers and non-teaching staff so as to turn things around for the school.
The new leadership is now entrusted with the task of transforming the troubled institution for the better.
