Kenyan secondary school where UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's father schooled

Immediate former Head of Public Service Joseph Kinyua, former Interior Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho, and former PS Lands Nicholas Muraguri are some of the career civil servants bred here.

In the world of football, big names like Bramwel Mwololo and Austine Oduor went through this institution.

In arts, Daniel Owira, who later became former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s adopted son, when he took the country by storm through his Otonglo time narration, was discovered at The Highway Secondary School.

And recently, the school made headlines twice! One, when its football team finished 1st runners up in secondary school games in Kenya and indeed East Africa. 

Second, when the son to its former student became prime minister of one of the world superpowers. 

Rishi Sunak was elected the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, replacing Liz Truss who resigned just weeks into her election as Boris Johnson’s replacement. 

No one really bothered to know who Sunak was until his latest win. Then it dawned on all of us, Kenyans, that actually he has roots here in the country. 

Sunak’s father was born and schooled in Kenya before his family moved to the UK for greener pastures.

And it was at The Highway Secondary School that Mr. Yashvir Sunak schooled for his O-levels. 

Citizen Digital visited the school and had a chat with Irungu Nduati, the Chief Principal of the school. 

“Dr. Sunak (Yashvir) schooled here with his brother from 1965 up to 1967. His brother was a year ahead of him and was the school captain,” Nduati says. 

While the older Sunak was outgoing and outspoken, the younger Sunak, the father to the UK premier, was a quiet boy who concentrated more on his studies. 

“He was not as outgoing as his brother. He was quiet. The older brother was school captain and more outspoken, perhaps the reason he was picked to lead the students,” Nduati adds.

It was after their high school education at The Highway Secondary School that the Sunaks relocated to Southampton, England. 

Yashvir Sunak married Usha, who was born in Tanzania. On May 12, 1980, Rishi was born in Southampton. His father worked with the NHS while his mother was a pharmacist within their locality. 

Rishi went to Winchester College, Lincoln College, Oxford, and Stanford University. He married his wife Akshata Murthy in August 2009. The couple has two daughters.

Last term, the PM’s uncle, the former Highway Secondary school captain, visited the institution when he returned to Kenya for holiday.

“It was a good feeling to have him come back to see the strides his former school has made so far. He was impressed,” Mr Nduati said.

He said he is also looking forward to the day Yashvir will come back to the institution, and probably tag along with his son Rishi. 

“This is an indication that with determination and focus, one can be anything in this world. We are not limited if the example of the UK premiere is anything to go by,” the principal concluded.