Kenya’s first African day school, St, Joseph High School in Githunguri, Kiambu celebrated its diamond Jubilee on Friday the 22^nd of June with H.E. William Ruto as guest of honour and cardinal John Njue  celebrating mass.

The school was founded in 1958 in response to a much-felt need for the expansion of secondary education in the then district, especially on account of the large number of intermediate schoolboys in the area.  It was thus felt necessary that a greater proportion of those who did well in their KAPE – the primary examination of the time-should have the advantage of secondary education.

Such move ensured that parents would not be altogether disappointed if qualifying boys just barely failed to gain a place in one of the few existing boarding schools at the time.

St. Joseph High School is situated 35 kilometers from Kiambu Town or 41 kilometers North of Nairobi and about one Kilometer from Githunguri Trading Centre.

From the top of the gentle slope on which the school is built, there is a fine view of the evergreen undulating country-side as it stretches off into the dim distance and is backed by the blue sides of the Aberdares and the snow-topped peaks of Mount Kenya.  Even on the sunniest of days, there is a cooling breeze blowing up the hill from the East, while that cold weather in July, is an incentive to hard work.  As the site for a school, it is most ideal.

In 1958, Father Gannon, who was then the supervisor of schools, sought permission from the Education Department to start a new venture – an African Day secondary school.  His request was granted.  Near Githunguri he was offered 30 acres of land which had been set aside as a school plot during land consolidation but upon which no school had ever been built.

Having acknowledged the need for this school and having given permission for it to be started, the Education Department placed it under the administration of the provincial Education Officer in Nyeri.

The Education Department could not approve their plan and fit Githunguri within its 1958 scheme for a grant-in-aid.  However, because the need for the school was urgent, Father Gannon decided to go ahead and started unaided.  All in all, he was given the understanding that grant-in-aid would be forthcoming later.

In the meantime, through the collaborative effort of both Catholic Missions and the community, the project was got underway.  The first four classrooms were of wood given to Father Gannon when the old General Post Office in Nairobi was demolished. The Archbishop of Nairobi by then His Grace J.J. Macarthy, agreed to allow the Fathers on the teaching staff to work without remuneration until such time that the school would receive grant-in-aid, while the community contributed money to help to cover the cost of the equipment.  The partnership was successful and the new enterprise flourished.

A grant-in-aid for recurrent expenses became available in 1960 and a salary began to be paid to one of the fathers and to one African lay teacher who was until the time of his death the minister in the President’s Office.  The cost of school equipment was also covered for the Form 1 class which started in that year.

The school grew gradually to second stream in 1968 and further expanded to third stream in 1978. A-level classes were introduced in 1983.  This was done after the ministry inspected the school and it was pleased with the efforts made by the parents and the community to expand the physical facilities required to accommodate the “A” level classes.  The school acquired full boarding status in 1994.

For more than the 60 years the school has been in existence, over 10,000 students have passed through it, most of whom are holding responsible positions in both the government and the private sector.