St. Joseph’s Boys High School “JOBO” is a national boys’ school located in Kitale, Trans Nzoia County. Established around 1952, the institution began as an intermediate primary school for boys, following its separation from St. Brigid’s Primary School in Kiminini, which continued as a girls’ boarding school.
The school was part of a broader network of intermediate schools in the region, all under the Roman Catholic Church, with St. Joseph’s administered by Catholic brothers and its sister school by Catholic nuns. Over time, it became one of the notable mission-run institutions providing quality education in the then North Rift region.
With the phasing out of intermediate schools in the lead-up to Kenya’s independence in 1963, the St. Joseph’s site evolved into a primary school and later became home to a Teacher Training College run by the Catholic brothers.
In 1965, a secondary school wing was introduced under the administration of Catholic priests, although this was later relocated in 1966 and renamed Trans-Nzoia Secondary School. This move left the teacher training college as the main institution on site for several years.
St. Joseph’s Boys High School Kitale history
By the early 1990s, the site had once again transitioned — this time into a mixed secondary school. However, in 1993, the school was formally split into St. Joseph’s Boys and Girls Schools.
The boys’ section retained all the original infrastructure — including classrooms and dining facilities — while the primary school was relocated to make room for the girls’ school.
From that point, St. Joseph’s Boys High School operated as a provincial boys’ boarding school, steadily growing in academic stature and infrastructure.
In 2012, it achieved national school status, a recognition of its consistent performance and expanding student population. The school now occupies a 75-acre campus and continues to thrive under strong foundations laid by the Catholic Church, which played a central role in its establishment and development.
Before the discontinuation of the A-Level system in 1988, the institution had also offered A-Level education during its time as a mixed school.
St. Joseph’s Boys High School has consistently maintained outstanding performance in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations.
Performance
In the 2024 KCSE, the school presented 576 candidates, with over 95% achieving the minimum university entry requirement of C+, all under full government sponsorship.
The school recorded an impressive mean grade of B plain. Among the candidates, 571 met the university entry grade, underscoring a steady improvement in overall performance.
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9 students notably earned an A, 42 achieved an A minus, 159 scored a B plus, and 193 secured a B. In addition, 30 students scored a C+, 18 scored a C, 5 scored grade C-, and the lowest grade recorded was a D, obtained by one student.
Beyond academics, St. Joseph’s Boys, affectionately known as JOBO or “The Saints,” is also a sports powerhouse. The school clinched the 2025 KSSA National Football Championship after edging out Musingu High 1-0 in the finals and won multiple titles at the KSSSA County Games in basketball, handball, 100-meter sprint, and swimming.
JOBO has also represented Kenya at the East Africa School Games, cementing its reputation for a winning tradition both on and off the field.
School Fees
The government had earlier set a directive specifying the maximum yearly school fees that parents are expected to pay.
As part of the Ministry of Education’s 2020 guidelines, Kenya’s 103 national schools were divided into four clusters.
St. Joseph’s Boys was categorized under the Cluster Four (IV), which places the official annual fee limit at around Ksh75,798 per student.
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However, the total fees payable to the school in 2025 for Form 2, 3, and 4 students were Ksh85,798, inclusive of a Ksh22,244 government capitation.
Location and contacts
JOBO is located in Kitale Town, Trans Nzoia County, along the Kitale-Webuye Highway before the Kitale Airstrip.
If you have any complaints, queries, or comments, you can contact the institution’s administration through the details below.
Mobile phone/ telephone number: 0790 848070
Postal address: P.O. Box 485- 30200, Kitale
Email address: [email protected]
St. Joseph’s Boys High School Kitale KNEC code: 23500014
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