Dagoretti High School is one of the top extra-county boys’ secondary schools located in Nairobi County.
The institution traces its roots back to 1929, with a history deeply intertwined with Kenya’s struggle for self-determination and access to education
Originally founded as Ruthimitu Independent School, the institution was born out of resistance after African pupils were expelled from mission schools for supporting traditional Kikuyu rites of passage. The colonial and missionary backlash led to its closure in the early 1930s.
However, efforts by African leaders, including the late Kenya’s founding President Jomo Kenyatta, saw the school reopen in 1939 under the Kikuyu Karing’a School Association (KKSA) as Waithaka Independent School.
Dagoretti High School history
It appointed the late Eliud Mathu, a Makerere University graduate, as its first principal in 1940. The school was again shut down in 1954 during the colonial state of emergency and converted into a detention camp.
Reconstruction began in 1959, aiming to reopen the school for new students in 1961. Due to delays, the first cohort was temporarily hosted at Thika High School.
On November 15, 1961, a proposal by the Dagoretti Locational Council and Kiambu education officials led to the renaming of the school to Dagoretti High School. It finally admitted students to its campus in January 1962.
The school’s governance was entrusted to a community committee led by figures like Eliud Njuguna Kuria, Tiras Waiyaki, Peter Kuria Ndwaru, and Geoffrey Kiuna, with their first meeting held on March 28, 1962.
Dagoretti High School was officially inaugurated on September 21, 1963, by then Permanent Secretary for Education, the late Kenneth Matiba.
Today, the school stands as a beacon of academic excellence and resilience. With modern facilities, committed educators, and a strong community ethos, the school continues to nurture generations of learners.
Performance
The institution has been admitting candidates who sat the national high school entrance examination, the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE).
The last KCPE was administered in 2023 after it was replaced by the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) under the Competence-Based Curriculum (CBC).
The school has consistently demonstrated improvement in both academic and co-curricular performance.
Dagoretti High School has been featuring among the top 500 countrywide in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) national examinations.
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In co-curricular activities, the institution has produced some of the most talented basketball players in Kenya. The school boasts a world-class basketball court, which was unveiled by the Giants of Africa.
School Fees
The government has previously issued a directive to all institutions regarding the total fees parents should pay per year.
The total annual fees per student at Dagoretti are approximately Ksh40,535, which serves as the fee cap set by the Ministry of Education for extra county schools in Kenya.
However, the total fees may vary from school to school due to additional expenses introduced by respective institutions, such as uniforms, motivation fees, and extra activities.
Some schools charge parents/guardians a high of Ksh60,000 annually.
Also Read: Jamhuri High School Fees, KCSE Performance and Contacts
Location and contacts
The learning institution is located in Waithaka, Dagoretti South Constituency few metres from Kikuyu Road in Nairobi County.
In case you have any complaints, queries, or comments, you can reach the institution’s administration through the contacts below.
Mobile phone number: +254 (0) 733643666
Email address: [email protected]
Postal address: P.O. Box 21070 – 00505 Nairobi, Kenya
Dagoretti High School KNEC code: 20405001
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