When it comes to masculine bravado, few schools can hold a candle to Njoro Boys that is nicknamed POH (Pure Oxygen Holics), due to sheer unbridled energy.
‘The School of Men’ always proved a handful for police, just a fence away, whenever they rioted and went on strike. But these fallouts have since been contained.
Njoro Boys was founded by odieros populating the area in 1961 when Sir Patrick Renison was Kenya’s Governor. The school was a mixture of many whites, a few Indians and a handful of Africans on its 116 acres.
Besides POH, Njoro Boys had other nicknames, such as ‘MIG’ for (Men in Grey), because of its uniform, and kambi, to mean campus. ‘Samcon’ was the school bus named after Nakuru’s famous vehicle assembler. ‘Jumbo’ was the second lorry-type bus, so named as it looked like a close cousin of the elephant.
Njoro Boys ‘Janjaweed Maniacs’ rugby team terrorised opponents to win national titles. Few were spared, including arch rivals Nakuru High, who received similar treatment in soccer in the days school bursar, Mr Ong’anyi, was the coach. Other than sports, Njoro Boys also did well in drama and music festivals.
Saturday was a favourite day for most students, as the supper menu changed from ugali-madondo to ugali with nyama moja tu and sukuma!
Canteen man Jemo, known for selling robo boflo, was the most popular person in the school, where a certain male school nurse dispensed flu medicine for all ailments, including diarrhoea!
Notable alumni guided by the motto ‘Labour to Succeed’ include prominent lawyer Rumba Kinuthia, the late lawyer and Nakuru Town MP, Mirugi Kariuki, former Eldama Ravine MP, Musa Sirma, comedian ‘Karis’ of the Churchill Show, SuperSport East Africa GM, Auka Gecheo, Kenya Police Air Wing commandant Col (Rtd) Rogers Mbithi and Njoro MP, Joseph Kiuna.
