Alliance High School is one of Kenya’s top national boys’ secondary schools. Established in 1926 under the auspices of the Alliance of Protestant Churches, it became the first school in the country to offer secondary education to Africans.
The founding churches included the Church of Scotland Mission (later the Presbyterian Church of East Africa or PCEA), the Church of the Province of Kenya (CPK)- now the Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK), the African Inland Church (AIC), the Friends Church (Quakers), and the Methodist Church.
The institution’s establishment is largely attributed to Dr. John Arthur, a missionary who oversaw the Kikuyu mission.
Dr. Arthur convened a 1913 conference with other Protestant missions to address the challenge of funding primary education for Africans.
This collaboration led to the formation of the Alliance of Protestant Missions in 1918.
He also lobbied the British government to make education accessible to Africans in colonial territories. His efforts culminated in the Devonshire White Paper of 1923, which recognised Africans’ right to quality education.
Alliance High School history
Without waiting for government support, Dr. Arthur worked to establish a high school for Africans in Kikuyu, leading to the founding of Alliance High School on March 1, 1926.
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Since its inception, the school has maintained a stellar academic record, consistently ranking among Kenya’s top 10 secondary schools.
It holds the national record for most consecutive years (1960–1985) at the top position in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations.
Each year, over 400 students are admitted based on academic merit and choice, in line with Kenya’s education policy.
The Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) exam was used to determine eligibility until 2023, when it was replaced by the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) under the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).
Alliance High School employs a quota system that ensures representation from every county in Kenya.
Admissions are need-blind, and many students receive full financial support from the school’s strong alumni network (the Old Boys Club) and friends of the institution worldwide.
More than 98% of the school’s graduates proceed to Kenyan universities, while others earn placements in top institutions abroad, including in Australia, China, Japan, Malaysia, South Africa, the UK, and the US.
Performance
Notable alumni include the founding member of the Kenya African National Union (KANU) Party James Gichuru, former Chief Justice Johnson Gicheru, first Kenyan African to hold a degree Mbiyu Koinange, and first and only president of the first opposition party in Kenya, the Kenya African Democratic Union (KADU) Ronald Ngala.
Others include Kisumu County Governor Peter Anyang’ Nyong’o, Siaya Governor James Orengo, Kikuyu Member of Parliament Kimani Ichung’wah, renowned author Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, and the second Attorney General of Kenya Amos Wako, among others.
In the 2024 KCSE, the school had 452 candidates, with 97.8% achieving the minimum university entry grade under full government sponsorship.
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100 students scored a straight A, while 134 scored an A-. Additionally, 107 students attained a B+, 62 scored a B, while 27 managed a B-.
12 students scored a C+, 6 scored a C, and the lowest grade recorded was a C-, obtained by just four students.
The school’s impressive performance saw the 2024 candidates achieve a mean score of 10.31—a slight improvement from the 9.5 mean score recorded in the 2023 KCSE.
School Fees
The government previously issued a directive outlining the maximum annual school fees that parents should pay.
Under new guidelines introduced in 2020 by the Ministry of Education, Kenya’s 103 national schools were grouped into four clusters.
Alliance High was placed in Cluster Three (III), meaning the official annual fee cap for students is approximately Ksh75,798.
However, actual fees may vary slightly from school to school due to additional charges levied by individual institutions—such as for uniforms, motivation programs, or co-curricular activities.
Location and contacts
The school is located just about 2 Kilometers from Kikuyu town, Kiambu County and approximately 22 Kilometres from the Capital city, Nairobi.
It is also a 10-minute walk away from the Alliance Girls’ High School (AGHS), the sister school which started in 1948.
In case you have any complaints, queries, or comments, you can reach the institution’s administration through the contacts below.
Mobile phone/ telephone number: 020 201 5026 | 0733 141 290
Email address: [email protected]
Postal address: P. O. Box 7-00902 Kikuyu
Official website: https://www.alliancehighschool.ac.ke/
Alliance High School KNEC code: 11200001
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