Friends School Kamusinga

The school produced the best 2006 K.C.S.E. (Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education) national candidate, Dickens Omanga.[11]

Due to scrapping of school rankings nationwide by the Ministry of Education, the ranking of the school is not available since 2018. Based on performance comparison the school boasts production of the highest number of A, A- and B+ grades compared to most schools in the country, making it still one of the top schools in the country.[12] In 2011, before ranking was abolished, the school ranked 12th nationwide.[13] In 2016 it ranked 4th.[14] In 2017 it emerged position 15.[15] In 2021 it ranked 7th nationally.[16]

The school is headed by Paul Weloba Wanyonyi, who took over the helm in January 2023; he was formerly the senior master of the school.[17] The school was previously headed by Protus Ndombi from 2018 to January 2023. He retired in January 2023.[1][18]

Nicolas Guy Barnett was a British teaching member of staff between 1960 and 1961. He later became member of parliament of South Dorset between 1962 and 1964, and later Greenwich between 1971 and 1986 in the 42nd and 45th Parliament of the United Kingdom.[19]

The school was previously headed by Simon Nabukwesi who headed the school from 1998 to January 2009, when he was appointed as Kenyan ambassador to Canada in a series of diplomatic appointments by Kenya's 3rd president Mwai Kibaki.[20]

Before Nabukwesi's helm at the school, Christopher Khaemba was the principal from 1995 to 1998[21] before transferring to Alliance High School as principal, and thereafter to African Leadership Academy as the school's founding dean in Johannesburg, South Africa.[22] He is currently the director and co-founder of the Nova Pioneer Academies, which operates in Kenya and South Africa.[22]

The school comprises ten departments that oversee the school programs and curricular activities. These are the Examination Department, Technical Department, Sciences Department, Math Department, Swahili & Other Languages Departments, English & Libraries Department, Games Department, Boarding Department, School Worship Program Department, and Guidance & Counselling Department.[23]

The heads of each department are appointed by the Teachers Service Commission.

The school has a board of governors (B.O.G.) and Parents Teachers Association (P.T.A.) organs that assist the school administration in leadership and management.[10]

Every year, 300-600 students are selected based on academic merit and quota as per the Kenyan standard education policy. Academic merit is based on performance on the K.C.P.E. (Kenya Certificate of Primary Education) exams. Its quota system ensures that the school admits boys from every county in the country, though with bias to students from public schools as the current education policy requires.[13]

Students are admitted on a need-blind basis. At any given time, there are needy students whose tuition and boarding fees are paid by parties other than their parents or guardians.[13]

On average the school's final year candidates get up to 98% admission into top universities in the country by merit through standard Kenyan public university placement procedures for students who have excelled on the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education. By virtue of the school's ranking over the years, with most students scoring A, A- and B+, most students get into university through merit.

The emblem is a cheetah poised on its back limbs which appears to be clawing the air.

A banner is floated below the emblem, reading "Use Common Sense".

Upon arrival, every form 1 student is assigned to a 'guardian' who is a form 2 student who will help the new student find his way around the school in the first few weeks.[5]

The school had a compulsory use of full cutlery set – fork, spoon and knife – during meals(currently only a spoon is required), which was resisted by shagz-modos, but most students and alumni are now grateful as it accounts for their refined etiquette.[5]

Various platforms like the drama and music competitions provide students with a chance to showcase their talents. The drama club organizes the biggest comic show of the entire year called "Talents Night" where students simulate the Monday morning school assembly and imitate their teachers.

Students are also given a chance to showcase their talents during the interclass and interhouse competitions.Disciplines of all sorts including indoor sports are showcased.

The school has sixteen houses:

The prefects are key to the running of the school. They see that the school routine and school rules are adhered to. They have the authority to punish culprits via the prefect's punishment department. Punishments include washing corridors and rooms and in some extreme cases, working in the school farm or tending to flowerbeds. Punishees are announced on parade everyday of the week and assigned for punishment.[24]

A total of about 110 prefects are chosen each year. 24 of the most outstanding prefects are given top honors in becoming Senior Prefects or Captains. These Captains are allocated various major departments in the school. The school's departments include:[24]

• Dining Hall[24]
• Entertainment
• Games
• Library
• Computer Lab
• Academic

Kamusinga offers its students opportunities to play various sports and join teams that participate in various tournaments. The sports include swimming, badminton, table tennis, hockey, basketball, rugby, volleyball, handball and soccer.

School swimming pool

The school has won Kenya national secondary schools games in hockey 19 times as well as East Africa regional hockey games 18 times since 1999, except for 2010, 2015 and 2017 since the introduction of the game in the school in 1997.[25][26][27][28][29]

The school has a basketball team referred to as the Tigers.[30] The school has represented the Western Province at the nationals since 2004. In 2009 it was the first runner-up while in 2011 it was the 2nd runner-up at the K.S.S.S.A. (Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association) national term 1A ball games. Over the years the school has continued to be one of the best basketball teams in the country and east Africa games because of its sterling performance.[31]

The school's dramatics club has over the years represented Western Province in the National Drama festivals in the Narrative category, winning in the whole country and entertaining the head of state from 1999 until 2006. The drama club at the time was headed by Mark Mutali Chetambe[32] and Isaac Shitubi. They produced various narrators and actors including Isaac Mwaura, Augustine Oluoch, John Paul Wafula and Jimmy Wanjala.[33] in 2019 other actors like Brandon Karoli and Bakuli Hemed emerged

The school has a Science Congress team which is currently ranked 'The Best Boys School in Kenya', 'Best School in Science' nationally in the field and overall ranked fifth nationally.[34][35][36][37][38][39]

There are over 20 clubs and societies including the Amateur Radio Club, the Dramatic Society, Law and Debate Club, Scouting, the White Fingers Peace Initiative, the Computer Club, Science Congress, the International Information Exchange Program Club, the School Choir, the Science and Robotics Club, the Integrity Club, the Writers' Club, the Poetry Society, Kiswahili Club, the Model United Nations, the Christian Union, and Muslim Association.[40]