Pastor T Mwangi: Why Sending Young Kids to Boarding School is a Mistake

Pastor T Mwangi, the founding pastor of Life Church International Limuru, has ignited a serious conversation regarding the Kenyan education system and its impact on the family unit.

During the Netwalking podcast interview with popular content creator Jacquey Nyaminde, better known as Wilbroda, the cleric detailed his firm stance against sending young children to boarding schools.

The Loss of Parental Counsel

The pastor, who is also the president of the Truth Mentorship Society, draws from his own childhood experiences in Narok. He was sent to a boarding school while in Class 4, a move he now believes was detrimental.

Mwangi argues that at such a tender age, children are thrust into large crowds and prematurely lose the vital guidance of their parents.

“Boarding school iko na disadvantages zake kwa sababu you tend to be introduced to a very big crowd and you lose the counsel of your parents,” he said.

He highlights a spiritual and developmental gap created by this separation. He believes that when a child is away, they miss out on the daily instructions and laws that are the foundation of parenting.

"Growing" vs. "Being Raised"

Mwangi makes a clear distinction between a child simply growing up and being actively raised by a mother and father. He compares children left in boarding schools to "street boys" who are left to figure out life through time and space alone.

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Without constant parental presence, these children often adopt the values of their immediate environment and peers rather than those of their family.

“Time umepeleka mtoto akiwa class four boarding, huwa anakosa instruction za baba, anakosa sheria za mama. So, naturally that child begins to grow by himself.You see there is raising and there is parenting, some children just grow, some children are raised,” he explained.

This environment, he claims, forces children to develop "survival tactics" early on. These tactics often replace the authentic values that parents would otherwise instil through daily interaction.

A Transactional Relationship

Perhaps his most striking observation is how boarding school can turn parents and children into strangers. Mwangi notes that when children return home only for holidays, the relationship often becomes purely transactional.

The interactions are frequently limited to the payment of school fees or the provision of basic needs. He observes that many parents find they cannot even sustain a two-hour conversation with their children because the emotional bond has been thinned by distance.

"By the time you meet your child, that child is a stranger and the parents are strangers," he told Wilbroda.

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Pastor T Mwangi’s perspective is shaped by a diverse life journey. Born in Samburu and raised in a humble background in Narok’s Majengo estate, he grew up in a Catholic household and served as an altar boy.

Before finding his path in the ministry, he was deeply involved in the hip-hop scene and explored various spiritualities, including Africanism and Rastafarianism.

While he eventually attended St. Joseph’s Junior Seminary in Molo—where he appreciated the discipline and values—he remains adamant that the primary school years are a critical time for children to remain at home.