St.Mary’s Yala Secondary School Description
St.Mary’s Yala Secondary School is an extra-county school situated along the Kisumu -Busia highway in a small but serene township known as Yala in Busia County. It’s giant in both academic and co-curriculum activities not just in The Lake Region but also nationally. This school was founded in 1927 by the Mill Hill missionaries notably Msgr. Brandsma who had a burning desire to start a teachers college for catholic schools. After a lot of struggle Yala School was opened in 1927 making it one of the oldest schools in Kenya.
It was noted that not many students were keen on becoming teachers and so it became a full primary school and junior secondary school that expanded to become the current St. Mary’s Yala, giving a chance to many African students to attend school. There is a strong history behind the school that over the years has given a lead to its growth.
St. Mary’s School Yala was a by-product of increased missionary activity in Kenyan in the early 1900s when Monsignor Brandsma and a group of Mill Hill missionaries from Holland whose vision to expand catholic education and counter Anglican and other protestant missions already developed in Kenya. Brandsma succeeded in obtaining land from the local Chief Odera Okang’o. The school opened its door to its first batch of students in 1927 and was upgraded to A.
St.Mary’s School Yala Co-curriculum Activities
The school offers various sporting disciplines, which include rugby, athletics, soccer, basketball, handball, indoor-games, volleyball, badminton and field hockey. The rugby team won the national secondary school rugby championship in 2003 and came in third place in 2017 and was able to proceed to Uganda for the EA championship. The school is also a strong performer in drama and music with the consistent top placement of its drama and music club compositions in festivals, students feted for the best stand up comedy in the 2015 edition of the competition.
St.Mary’s Yala Secondary School Contacts
School Name: St.Mary’s Yala Secondary School
Physical Location:
Address: P.O. Box
City/Town: Yala
County:
School Category: Public
School Code: M6090372
Phone Number:
Email: The email of the secondary school will be updated when available
Website: The website of the school will be updated when available
St.Mary’s Yala Secondary School Fees and Account Number
For details on school fees and school account number concerning this secondary school, kindly contact the school’s principals office.
St.Mary’s Yala Secondary School – Highlights
Music:
Drama Club:
Debate Club:
Sports Team:
Girls and Boys Scouts:
Students Association:
St.Mary’s Yala Secondary School – Facilities
School Library:
Swimming Pool:
Sports Field:
Computer Lab:
Science Laboratory:
The school undertook a lot of new projects and renovations during Awiti’s reign thus giving it new face lit. New pavements connecting classes, labs and dormitories were laid. Beautiful landscaping around the assembly area was done besides the purchase of a new school bus, setting up departmental offices, the projects include the construction of a new dormitory with a capacity of 900 students. The school has been upgraded to six streams with over 880 students. The school is equipped with a library, which offers a range of reference books, periodicals, and university prospectuses. The school has 22 classrooms,13 dormitories, administrative offices, and research labs. A private guidance and counseling office is also available as well as computer rooms.
St.Mary’s School Yala administrative Structure
The school was headed by Mr.Agoya 1970, Mr.J.B. Juma 1978, Mr.N.Arega 1981, Mr.P.Odwuor, 1983 Mr. Joseph owour till 1985, Mr.John Were 1987. Marcellous K’ojwang 1996, Mr. Peter Auma 2010, Mr.Denis Oyako 2014, Mr. Naashon Sianga Adero,2015, Mr. Nashon sianga Adero, 2015, Mr. Nicholas Onyango 2017. Mr. Awiti, the former chairman and later secretary-general of Kenya Secondary School Heads association retired in 2016 and was replaced by Mr. Bonaventure Ollando who is also an alumnus of the school.
St.Mary’s School Yala Student Life
The student body is headed by the chairman of the student leadership council. The position is currently held by Silas Omondi Ooko succeeding James Emmanuel Okore( Head boy) together with secretaries and councilors. Yala Old Boys Association is the alumni organization that brings together old boys of the school, who every now and then hold fundraising activities to help the school expand its core mission of providing quality education. There is a total of 13 dormitories named after founders and prominent alumni of the school.