Maseno School is a boy’s only national boarding school in Kisumu county. It’s the oldest formal education school in Kenya. It was established in 1906 by the missionaries of the Church Missionary Society (CMS) as a school for the children of African chiefs.
Location
Maseno school is located 25 Km from Kisumu. Set a few meters from the busy Kisumu- Busia road and on the floor of a forested hilly landscape, the school enjoys the scenic views of the Mabungo hills whose natural beauty is further augmented by trees planted by students over the years. Close to the school is the Maseno University, Maseno Mission Hospital which serves the district community consisting of locals living around the place and University students. Interaction between the university students and Maseno school student is commonplace and fostered by the close proximity between the school and the University. Maseno School Sits on the equator and has its portion on both the southern Hemisphere and the Northern Hemisphere. The first administrator of the school was Rev. James Jamieson Willis fondly remembered as J.J Willis.
School History
In 1905, J.J Willis was sent to explore the lake region of Kenya as a prospective place for the establishment of a mission. After touring the area Willis pitched tent under a Hickory tree (Carya ovalis) known in the local languages as oseno (Luo) and omseno (Luhya).
That particular place was proposed to be the site of the new mission and in 1906, a chapel, the Rock of Ages, later known as St. Paul’s Chapel was built next to the tree. The place became known as Maseno and in 1906 the Missionaries established the famous Maseno School. The first students were six sons of African chiefs. The establishment of the school in the area attracted youthful boys from all over Western Kenya. Besides reading and writing, students were taught several skills such as carpentry, tailoring, printing, building, telegraphy and clerical work.
Teacher training was started in 1920 to train teachers who would in turn teach new students. Those who studied at the school were tested at the end of their courses and awarded certificates.
Academic Performance
The school routinely has a good showing in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) nationwide and is consistently ranked highly in its category of schools with large enrolment. In every academic year, Maseno school boasts of producing the best students in different subjects category and has consistently led in the entire Nyanza region.
The school is also consistently in the Top Ten National Ranking of Schools. 98% of the graduating class from Maseno School proceeds to universities and colleges all over the world. These include all the universities in Kenya and several international institutions of higher learning.
Headed by Mr Otieno Peter as the chief principal, In the recent 2021 KCSE results, the institution recorded an impressive result in the national exams. The school recorded a mean score of 8.86 points which translates to a B(plain)
Out of the 546 candidates who sat for the 2021 KCSE exams, a total of 496 candidates sealed the direct university entry grade. This translates to 90.84249% direct entry.
Co-Curricular Excellence
In co-curricular activities, Maseno replicates their academic performance in the different disciplines they offer at the prestigious school. Some of the disciplines offered there include; Soccer, rugby, basketball, karate, chess, scouting among others.
The school’s rugby team is a household name in the Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association (KSSSA) national games. It has won many accolades same to the basketball team. The rugby 15’s team has played up to the East and Central Africa final level. Back in the Nyanza regional games, they have featured in every year’s final since 1998 and their contest has brought a strong rivalry with mighty St Mary’s Yala.
Alumni’s
Many students who have gone through the giant school have ended up being transformed from boys to respected men in the world. Notable alumni who went through the school include Jaramogi Oginga Odinga; Kennya’s first vice president, Barack Obama Snr, the father to former USA president Barack Obama and Freedom fighter Achieng’ Oneko.
Others who were guided by school motto “Perseverance Shall Win Through” are Gabriel Oguda; a top columnist with Nation Media Group, the late Benjamin Ayimba; former Kenya rugby sevens coach, Ken Mijungu; senior reporter at KTN TV among others.
