Maseno National School was established in 1906 by the Missionaries of the Church Missionary Society (CMS) as a school for the children of African chiefs. CMS’ successor, the Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK) remains the current sponsor of the school, overseen by the Diocese of Maseno South.

The first administrator of the school was Reverend James Jamieson Willis fondly remembered as J.J Willis. Willis House, a dormitory in the school, is named in his honour.

In 1905, Willis was sent to explore the Kavirondo or 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 with land being donated by Chief Ogola Ayieke[1] and later in August 1908, a chapel, the Rock of Ages, also known as St. Paul’s Chapel was built next to the tree.[2]

The place became known as Maseno and it is where, in 1906, the missionaries established Maseno School. The first students were six sons of African chiefs. They were Simon Ndinya, Onduso, Odindo, Owiti, and the late senior chief Yonah Orao.

The establishment of the school in the area attracted youthful boys from all over Western Kenya. Besides reading and writing, students were taught various skills such as carpentry, tailoring, printing, building, telegraphy and clerical work.

Teacher training was introduced in 1920 to train teachers who would in turn teach new students. This is what happened, for instance, to BA Ohanga, later the first African to be appointed a minister in the colonial government, who was prevailed upon by Edward Carey Francis to go back to the school and teach. Those who studied at the school were tested at the end of their courses and awarded certificates.

The colonial hangovers depicting the school’s early history are still visible to-date. The hut that Jaramogi Oginga Odinga built during his time as a teacher at the school in protest of a silent policy that had white teachers getting the best houses with views of the Lake Victoria and black African teachers being assigned the north-facing staff houses overlooking the Mabungo hills, still stands.

Perhaps Maseno School’s greatest contribution to the local area’s growth has been the growth of the institution that occupies some of its land: Maseno University. The university is a result of the merger of Siriba Teachers College and the Government Training Institute. The former, had been established to train teachers who, in the colonial days, ended up at Maseno School.

The school celebrated its centennial in 2006 with the climax of the centenary celebrations being a visit to the school by then President Mwai Kibaki on 5 December 2006.

List of Maseno School Principals

1. Reverend James Jamieson Willis, popularly known as JJ Willis (1906 – 1911)
2. Reverend Albert Edward Pleydell (1913 – 1917)
3. Reverend Canon John Britton (1917 – 1926)
4. Reverend Harold Stone C Hitchen (February – December 1926)
5. Canon Dr John Stansfeld (1926 – 1928)
6. Edward Carey Francis (1928 – 1940)
7. Arthur William Mayor (1940 – 1950)
8. Bertram Lindsay Bowers, popularly known as BL Bowers (1951 – 1969)
9. UA Wessler (1969 – 1973)
10. William Melchizedek Okech (1973 – 1975)
11. JT Ogweno (1976 – 1980)
12. EJ Were (1980 – 1981)
13. RK Siele (1982 – 1985)
14. Walter John Okumu Amadi (1986 – 2001)
15. Paul Agali Otula (2001 – 2017)
16. Andrew Odhiambo Buop (2017 – 2022)
17. Peter Owino (2022–present)