The Kisumu Boys High School is one of the best high schools in Kenya, established in 1948 as the Indian High School to serve the growing Indian community.
The history of the school dates to the early 20th century and the construction of the Kenya-Uganda Railway.
The Kenya-Uganda Railways, whose construction began at the Coast town of Mombasa in 1896, reached Kisumu in 1901.
The bulk of the labor in the construction of this railway was provided by Indians who had been recruited from home by the British Colonial Government.
When the project was completed, many of the Indians settled down in Kenya and subsequently acquired citizenship.
The Indian population grew so fast in Kisumu, and in 1925, the colonial government started an Indian Primary School in the town to cater to the education of their children. In 1948, the school became a government Indian High School.
Initially, the school was co-educational, but in 1961, a separate school for girls was established in the vicinity, and Indian High School was officially renamed Kisumu Boys’ High School. The Girls’ School became Kisumu Girls High School.
Three years later, in 1964, A-level classes were established, with both girls and boys taking both Science and Arts courses at the School. Prior to 1966, the school catered only to Asian students, and there were no Africans in the management of the school.
Kisumu Boys High School has produced notable graduates who have risen to prominence in society, politics, education, and the business sector, including Embakasi East MP Paul Ongili alias Babu Owino, Erick Omondi, Former Kisumu Governor Jack Ranguma, and Olago Aluoch.
Prominent Kenyans Who Attended Kisumu Boys’ High School
Below is a summary of the prominent Kenyans who have attended Kisumu Boys High School.
Paul Ongili alias Babu Owino
Babu Owino attended Kisumu Township Primary School from 1995 to 2002.
Thereafter, he joined Kisumu Boys’ Secondary School from 2003 to 2006, where he completed his A levels.
In 2008, he enrolled at the University of Nairobi (UoN) to pursue a bachelor’s degree in actuarial science.
He graduated with First Class Honors in 2012. However, in 2013, he went back to UoN to pursue a degree in Law.
Babu rose to prominence after his election as the chairperson of the Students Organization of Nairobi University (SONU) in 2011, a role he held for almost a decade.
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Before winning the Embakasi seat, Babu contested for the Westlands MP seat, which he lost to Tim Wanyonyi.
However, in August 2017, he was elected to parliament for Embakasi East on the ODM ticket, and in 2022, Babu retained his seat after beating his opponents.
Babu Owino was admitted to the Bar as an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya on Friday, May 23, 2025.
Eric Omondi
He studied at Kondele Primary School and later joined Kisumu Boys High School for his secondary education.
Eric joined Daystar University for a bachelor’s degree in mass communication and journalism.
He worked at NTV for 2 weeks before joining the Churchill Show.
Eric broke into the limelight in 2008 with an appearance on the TV show Churchill Live.
The comedian later left the show, run by Daniel Ndambuki, to start his own comedy brand.
In October 2019, he was crowned Best Comedian in Africa and the African King of Comedy at the Africa Entertainment Awards in New York.
Jack Ranguma
He completed his studies at Kisumu Boys High School in the early 1970s.
From 1989 to 1991, Jack Ranguma Obtained a Master of Science in International Accounting and Management Information Systems from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Also Read: Prominent Kenyans Who Studied at Maranda High School
From 2008 to 2012, Jack served as a Senior Policy Advisor for this pan-African organization, focusing on tax justice and transparency.
In 2023, he was appointed by President William Ruto to serve as the Chairperson of the Sacco Societies Regulatory Authority (SASRA) for a three-year term.
In addition, he also served at the Kenya Revenue Authority for four years, holding senior leadership roles, including as Commissioner of Income Tax and later Commissioner of Domestic Taxes.
Jack was elected on an ODM ticket as the First Governor of Kisumu County from 2013 to 2017.
After his first term, he contested the 2017 and 2022 elections as an independent candidate but was unsuccessful in both.
Olago Aluoch
John Olago Aluoch attended Kisumu Boys High School for his “O” Level secondary education, which he completed in 1972.
He later attended Maseno School for his A-Levels.
From 1975 to 1978, Olago Pursued a Bachelor of Laws (LL. B) at the University of Nairobi.
For a year, he studied for a Diploma in Law at the Kenya School of Law.
Olago served as the Member of Parliament for Kisumu West from 2007 to 2022.
He currently serves on the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF) Board, following his appointment in late 2023.
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