Pupils in Kerende Village, Tarime District, are set to benefit from improved access to primary education following the construction of Mgosi Primary School by Barrick North Mara Mine at a cost of more than Sh300 million.
Built under the mine’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme, the school aims to reduce the long distances children have been travelling to attend classes in neighbouring villages.
Kerende has 10 hamlets and a population of more than 8,000 people. Pupils from Mgosi, Isakahembe and Nyanyoka are among those expected to benefit from the new facility, which will be the village’s fourth government primary school. Construction began in June 2025, and the contractor handed over the facility to the village government in January 2026. Preparations for its official opening are nearing completion. The school occupies a 10-acre site and has six classrooms, a teachers’ office, toilet facilities for teachers and pupils, and a football pitch. The project also provided desks for 125 pupils.
Kerende Village Government chairperson Marwa Gabogwe said the school would improve access to education and make it easier for more children to enrol.
Mussa Magaigwa, a resident and member of the village government, welcomed the investment, saying the facility addressed a significant need in the community.
‘This project was a major need because our village has 10 hamlets and a large number of pupils. It will therefore be of great benefit to our children,’ he said.
Kemambo Ward councillor Rashid Bogomba said all the school buildings had been completed through the mine’s CSR programme. He also chairs the mine’s Community Development Committee.
The school was named after Mount Mgosi, a local attraction.
North Mara Gold Mine operates through Twiga Minerals, a partnership between Barrick and the Government of Tanzania.
Since 2019, the mine has spent Sh26.86 billion on 255 CSR projects in Tarime District Council, covering education, healthcare, roads, water supply, economic development and environmental conservation, according to figures provided by the company.