The Lenana School (formerly Duke of York School) is a premier national boys’ secondary school located in Nairobi County.
The institution is one of Kenya’s national schools and is among the 18 prestigious Cluster Three (III) secondary schools.
Lenana School’s origins date back to 1949 when it was founded by colonial governor Philip Euen Mitchell. It was initially named the Duke of York School after a British World War II-era King George V-class battleship.
Governor Mitchell personally supervised the acquisition of 250 acres of land on the edge of Ngong Forest in Karen, responding to settlers’ calls for more post-primary education institutions for their children in Kenya.
He was determined to deliver the pinnacle of educational experiences for European children.
The school’s design was elaborate, featuring a nine-hole golf course, a rifle range, horse stables, a cricket oval and pavilion, two football pitches, two hockey pitches, three rugby pitches, an Olympic-size swimming pool, two tennis courts, and a fully equipped squash court.
Lenana School history
The institution was finally completed in 1949, the same year the Beecher Report on African education was published, recommending, among other things, that higher education was unnecessary for Africans and that education should remain racially segregated.
In addition, the first students were briefly housed at the then-British colonial governor’s house — now State House Nairobi — while waiting for the school’s completion. The founding principal was R. H. James.
After Kenya gained independence in 1963, a few Asian and African students were admitted to the school.
In 1969, the school’s name was changed to Lenana, after the famous Maasai Paramount Chief Laibon Lenana.
Also Read: The Nairobi School Fees, KCSE Performance and Contacts
That same year, James Kamunge became the first African principal, initially heading an all-white teaching staff.
The bell from HMS Duke of York is mounted on a bell shed in front of the school parade ground, between the chapel and the main hall.
A painting of Chief Lenana, created by student artist Sam Madoka, hangs next to the staircase leading to the second floor of the administration block.
Lenana School boasts a distinguished alumni list, including Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, Water Cabinet Secretary Eric Mugaa, Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja, and the late former Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Chairperson Wafula Chebukati.
The school currently has a student population of over 1,200 and is led by Principal William Kemei.
Performance
Through the 1980s and into the 21st century, Lenana School has maintained strong academic performance, consistently ranking among the top 100 schools nationally in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations.
The national school was ranked the 26th-best high school nationally in 2006.
In the 2024 KCSE, the school had 437 candidates, with 90.85% achieving the minimum university entry grade under full government sponsorship.
Notably, 27 students scored a straight A, while 69 earned an A-. Additionally, 99 students attained a B+, 94 scored a B, and 64 managed a B-.
44 students scored a C+, 27 scored a C, with only 13 students recording grade C- and below.
Also Read: The Kenya High School Fees, KCSE Performance and Contacts
The school’s impressive performance saw the 2024 candidates achieve a mean score of 9.0618—an improvement from the 9,0431 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.
Lenana School was placed in Cluster 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 institution is located near Ngong Road in Dagoretti South Constituency of Nairobi County, approximately 15 kilometres from the Nairobi Central Business District (CBD).
In case you have any complaints, queries, or comments, you can reach the institution’s administration through the contacts below.
Mobile phone number: +254 708952250
Email address: [email protected]
Postal address: P. O. Box 30253-00100, GPO, Nairobi, Kenya
Lenana School KNEC code: 20400001
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