Kabaa High: Where Kibaki, Otunga, Ndingi prayed for pardon

 Kabaa High School in Machakos. Alumni Mwai Kibaki, Tom Mboya and Ndingi Mwana a’Nzeki

 

Kabaa High School was an academic giant till the government took it from the Catholic Church Notable alumni include former President Mwai Kibaki, Archbishop Ndingi Mwana a’Nzeki and the late Maurice Cardinal Otunga

Kabaa High School in Mbiuni, Machakos County, was started by Dutch priest Fr Michael Witte of the Holy Ghost Fathers in 1924.

The boys’ school started with 35 pupils, but was converted into a teachers’ training college, then into a primary boarding school, and later into an intermediate school in 1939.

Kabaa remained an intermediate school until 1954 and later became a secondary school, but reconverted again to intermediate school and students were moved to what is today Mang’u High School.

Kabaa officially started as a secondary school in 1960 and became an academic giant for 20 years, before its downfall started when the government took it from the Catholic Church.

Today, Kabaa is a shadow of its former self, when favourite meals included rice, ugali and githeri besides cherished rides on ‘Chopper,’ the school bus and ‘Diana,’ the minibus.

Kabaa prepared foundation for some distinguished personalities who were surprisingly punished via chapel prayers, seeking God’s forgiveness as Fr Witte watched.

Notable pioneer alumni of Kabaa include former President Mwai Kibaki who stayed there for a year, trade unionist Tom Mboya, UAP Insurance chair and former University of Nairobi Chancellor Dr Joe Wanjui, the late Maurice Cardinal Otunga and retired Catholic Archbishop Ndingi Mwana a’Nzeki.

Other Kabaa alumni guided by the Jishinde Ushinde motto are former Kenya Airports Authority director general George Muhoho, Machakos Town MP Victor Munyaka, the late lawyer Sam Waruhiu who represented Nahashon Njenga Njoroge alleged Mboya’s killer, veteran politician George Nthenge, late Machakos Bishop Urbanus Kioko and cartoonist Edward Gitau aka Juha Kalulu, who schooled with Ndingi.

Other ‘Kabaarians’ who wore blue shirts, black trousers and red pullovers before the uniform colour was changed to red shirts, black trousers and pullovers, include UoN associate professor of computing and informatics.

Timothy Waema, Aga Khan Hospital, Mombasa neurosurgeon Dr Gregory Mulunga, KTN anchor Nicholas Wambua and Safaricom Human Resource Director Paul Kasimu.

Those who retired in Mboya, Otunga, BN Njenga, Witte, Kenyatta and Ndingi dormitories are KETRACO managing director Eng Joel Kiilu, late Machakos County education director Raphael Matheka, Nandi County chief finance officer David Munyao, Machakos County chief education officer Collins Sila and his counterpart in the Governor’s office Augustine Kyalo.