Mang’u High School has long stood among Kenya’s notable centres of learning, with its alumni making their mark in politics, business, public administration, education and other spheres of national life.
Over the decades, the institution has produced individuals who have gone on to occupy influential positions and shape the country’s social, political and economic landscape.
Among its more recent alumni is George Kimutai Ruto, the youngest son of President William Ruto, who returned to his former school on Saturday, October 3, 2026, as Mang’u marked its centenary celebrations.
George joined other former students for the unveiling of a new basketball court, an event that brought together the school’s past and present generations.
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Away from the official programme, he spent time with students on the sports grounds before addressing the wider student body.
In his interaction with the students, George reflected on the realities that accompany life beyond secondary school, urging them to remain resilient as they navigate the opportunities and difficulties that come with adulthood.
His return also offered a glimpse into his own journey since leaving the institution. George joined Mang’u High School in 2013 and completed his Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examinations in 2016, attaining a B+ grade.
During his time at the school, he was accommodated at the Archbishop Ndingi Mwana Nzeki dormitory. Those who studied alongside him remember a student who rarely sought attention and largely kept to himself.
Following his secondary education, George pursued further studies at Strathmore University, graduating in 2021. He later travelled to the United Kingdom, where he undertook aviation training and eventually qualified as a commercial pilot.
Beyond aviation, George has ventured into entrepreneurship and has established interests in the transport industry, including significant investments in the matatu business.
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A century-long educational legacy
George’s return came at a particularly significant moment in the institution’s history as Mang’u High School celebrated 100 years of existence.
The school’s story stretches back to 1926 when it was established at Kabaa under the leadership of Dutch priest Michael Joseph Witte, a member of the Holy Ghost Fathers.
The institution’s origins, however, can be traced further back to July 2, 1913, when the first Catholic priest arrived in Kabaa with the intention of establishing a mission. The mission was set up on a five-acre parcel of land but was later abandoned in 1920 after failing to attract a sufficient number of converts.
By 1923, Witte was working at another Catholic mission in Kilungu, where he was running a Central School for Catechists. Plans subsequently emerged to expand the institution into a larger Central Training School for Catechists.
Witte and his superior at Kilungu, Fr Horber, concluded that Kilungu was unsuitable for the proposed expansion and began considering alternative locations.
Mang’u, Riruta and Kabaa were identified as possible sites, with Witte favouring Kabaa. The proposal was eventually approved by the bishop, setting the stage for the development of the institution that would later become Mang’u High School.
Over the decades, the school has evolved into one of Kenya’s best-known secondary schools, building a reputation for academic achievement and producing graduates who have made their mark in different sectors of national life.
A roll call of prominent alumni
George joins a long list of notable Kenyans who passed through Mang’u before rising to prominence.
Among the school’s distinguished former students are former President Mwai Kibaki, whose political career culminated in his election as Kenya’s third president, as well as former Cabinet minister John Michuki and the late politician and trade unionist Tom Mboya.
Other prominent alumni include businessman George Muhoho, politician Cyrus Jirongo and former Kamukunji MP George Thenge.
