Kenya’s telecommunication giant, Safaricom, has announced plans to open a secondary school in Kiambu County, dubbed M-Pesa Academy, which will be built and owned by the M-Pesa Foundation, a charity organisation established by the firm in 2010.

The M-Pesa Academy will be built on a 50-acre piece of land in Thika and Safaricom’s CEO Bob Collymore has said that construction has already started and the school is targeted for completion early next year.

The project will cost the firm nearly Ksh3 billion and will be completed by 2016. The school will use the model practiced by Starehe Boys Center whereby needy students pay very little or no school fees.

“As part of our on-going commitment to build institution sustainable education options for future generations, the M-Pesa Foundation will be investing in the development of a state-of-the-art educational facility in Kenya,”said Les Baillie, executive director of the M-Pesa Foundation.

The school will have exceptional facilities such as a conference hall and a farm where students will grow food which will be consumed at the institution.

Safaricom has been at the forefront of unique innovations, which include its biggest product Mpesa and it’s evident that the firm is also keen on extending its outstanding innovations even in giving back to the society as well.