The Kenya High School, formerly the Nairobi European School, is among the top national public girls’ secondary schools in Kenya.
The school, established in 1910, started with buildings designed for police Barracks, which consisted partly of temporary wooden huts located on the compound of the present Nairobi Primary school, with which the secondary school shared the present buildings.
In 1931, the boys were separated from the girls, and the school was renamed The European Girls Secondary School in 1932, with its first Headmistress, Miss Kerby, appointed.
The school was renamed The Kenya High School in 1939 and was acquired by the Kenyan government in 1974, when it began taking more African pupils and teachers.
The school has repeatedly produced students who have gone on to hold influential positions in politics, law, governance, and public service.
Some famous Kenyans who have studied in Kenya High include Supreme Court Justice Njoki Ndung’u, former Governor Joyce Laboso, Senator Esther Okenyuri, Lawyer Esther Arunga, and Governor Wavinya Ndeti.
Influential Women Who Studied at Kenya High School
Over the years, Kenya High has produced some of Kenya’s most influential and accomplished women across politics, business, and public service.
Below are some of the women who attended Kenya High School and later rose to distinction in their respective fields.
Njoki Ndung’u
Supreme Court of Kenya Judge attended Kenya High School from 1979 to 1983.
Njoki went on to pursue a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) at the University of Nairobi, followed by a Master of Laws (LLM) in Human Rights and Civil Liberties from the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom.
In addition, she holds professional diplomas, including a Post-Graduate Diploma in Law from the Kenya School of Law and a Diploma in Women’s Human Rights from the World University Services in Austria.
Njoki Ndungu is a former Member of the Pan-African Parliament and a Member of the 9th Parliament of the Republic of Kenya.
She is currently a Judge of the Supreme Court of Kenya and a member of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC).
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Joyce Laboso
Former Bomet governor Dr Joyce Laboso attended Kaplong and Molo Primary Schools for her elementary education.
She later attended Kaplong Girls Secondary School for her O-Levels and then joined The Kenya High School, where she completed her A-Levels.
From 1980 to 1983, Joyce joined Kenyatta University, where she pursued a Bachelor of Education degree.
In 1984, she went to the University of Paul Valery in France for her postgraduate diploma in teaching French language before pursuing a master’s in teaching English as a foreign language at the University of Reading.
In 2013, she ditched the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party for William Ruto’s United Republican Party (URP) on whose ticket she defended the Sotik seat.
She was the first woman Deputy Speaker of Kenya’s National Assembly and later Governor of Bomet County. Joyce Laboso died in July 2019 after a battle with cancer.
Esther Okenyuri
Nominated Senator Esther Okenyuri attended Tarang’anya Girls for her primary education.
From 2006 to 2009, she attended Kenya High School for her secondary education.
Esther has a Certificate in Computer Systems and Application Packages from Elgon View College and a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) Part One from the Kisii College of Accountancy.
She also holds a Bachelor of Science in Information Sciences (Records Management) from Maasai Mara University.
Esther is serving her first term as a nominated Senator under the UDA party.
Wavinya Ndeti
Machakos Governor Wavinya Ndeti went to the Kenya High School for her O-Levels.
She spent her formative years partly in Kenya and later in the United Kingdom, where she pursued higher education.
In the UK, she first enrolled at City University, London, where she studied Business Systems Analysis and Design and graduated with a Master of Science (MSc) degree on November 6, 1992.
Continuing her academic journey, Wavinya joined London South Bank University, where she pursued a Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Computing Studies and graduated on July 18, 1995.
In 2013, she contested the position of Governor of Machakos County, under the Chama Cha Uzalendo party, but lost to Alfred Mutua.
In February 2022, Wavinya resigned from her CAS position to vie for the Machakos gubernatorial seat in the August 2022 general elections.
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This time, she ran under the Wiper Democratic Movement–Kenya (WDM-K), a key party within the Azimio la Umoja coalition.
After a hotly contested race, she emerged victorious, defeating her rivals and making history as the first woman Governor of Machakos County.
Esther Arunga
Esther Arunga attended Kenya High School before enrolling at the University of Wollongong in New South Wales, Australia, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in communication.
Upon returning to Kenya, she studied at the Kenya School of Law and was admitted to the bar in 2009.
Arunga began her career as a journalist and radio presenter at Capital FM before joining Kenya Television Network (KTN), where she gained national recognition.
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