By Anderson Ojwang
When the chapter of Kenya’s 8-4-4 education system comes to a close with the 2026 class and the final history of the system is written, one school in the sleepy and rocky hills of Rachuonyo West will occupy a permanent space in the annals of Kenya’s academic history.
Oriwo Boys Secondary School (Oriwo BSS) in Kibiri Ward of Karachuonyo Constituency wrote history in the 8-4-4 system as the only school in the history of KCSE to qualify the largest number of students—935—with a C+ and above for admission to university.
This was a milestone that has never been achieved by any school in the country. Oriwo BSS will therefore join the list of other top schools that left permanent records in the KCSE system.
Chairman of the School Board of Managers (BoM), Prof. Kitche Magak, said the record of Oriwo BSS is likely to remain permanent now that the system is coming to an end with the introduction of the Competency-Based Education (CBE) system.
“As the Chairman of the Board of Managers, I am absolutely gratified that we have left an indelible national record that may never be erased. This is a milestone in the history of the school and the country. It is no mean achievement for an extra-county school that still lacks most basic infrastructure. Most importantly, I am proud to assure you these are genuine results. Against all odds, the Oriwo BSS community, especially the students and teachers, worked extraordinarily hard to achieve that feat,” he said.
Prof. Magak added that the school, under the leadership of the outgoing Senior Principal, Mr. Henry Airo, underwent a major infrastructural facelift and rebranding to make it one of the best institutions in the region.
He said the school has also emerged as one of the top performers in Homa Bay County, Nyanza, and nationally, and that is why it has continued to record steady improvement in national examinations.
In last year’s Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE), the school managed an improvement from 9.1 in 2024 to 9.2 in 2025.
The new Senior Principal, Mr. Tom Amadi, said the performance was exemplary, with a pass rate of 98.83 per cent. A total of 592 out of 594 candidates who sat the examinations gained direct entry to university.
“We have developed a positive attitude towards learning, and this is one of the reasons that has contributed to exemplary performance. We only had two candidates who did not manage to qualify to join university but secured grade C,” he said.
He said Oriwo Secondary School continues to take a high percentage of students to university, and this has had an immense impact on the local community, where the majority of the students come from.
“I am proud that the Karachuonyo community has steadily gained in acquiring high-quality human resources, and Oriwo Secondary School has been one of the main contributors,” he said.
“We have built nine ultra-modern classrooms, a three-bedroom principal’s house, and constructed modern toilets.
We have a project to construct a hostel with a student capacity of 1,500. We have completed one floor, and already 500 students are using the facility. We require an additional Sh40 million to complete the project,”he said.
Mr. Amadi said that due to the large student population, there was a need to construct an additional library, laboratories, more ICT rooms, and an additional hall.
“The school requires an alternative source of lighting, and we appeal to well-wishers to support this initiative, as the area suffers constant blackouts,” he said.
Karachuonyo has for decades suffered from water insecurity, and the school has only one borehole, which cannot adequately serve the institution during dry seasons.
One of the most urgent needs of the school is the availability of adequate clean and safe water. The school plans to drill a second borehole to meet the high demand caused by the large student population of over 2,200 currently. This population is expected to surpass 3,000 with the admission of the Grade 10 class.
The school also received a donation of over 40 desktop computers and a bus from President William Ruto when he presided over the homecoming thanksgiving prayer of Dr. Raymond Omollo, the Principal Secretary for Internal Security.
