National schools (Cluster 1) in Kirinyaga
The Ministry lists 4 schools in Kirinyaga as Cluster 1, the group that used to be called national schools. Where we hold a page for a school, its name links to it.
| Baricho High School | Kirinyaga West | Boys | Boarding | 09200012 |
| Kabare Girls' High School | Kirinyaga East | Girls | Boarding | 09200011 |
| Kianyaga High School | Kirinyaga East | Boys | Boarding | 09222201 |
| Mutira Girls Secondary School | Kirinyaga Centra | Girls | Boarding | 09203405 |
Source: Ministry of Education, Cluster 1 public senior schools list (June 2025). Last checked 31 October 2026.
Extra-county schools (Cluster 2) in Kirinyaga
The Ministry lists 15 schools in Kirinyaga as Cluster 2, the former extra-county schools: 8 for girls, 7 for boys.
Showing 15 of 15
| Kamuiru Secondary School | Kirinyaga Centra | Boys | Boarding | 09203403 |
| Karoti Girls High School | Mwea East | Girls | Boarding | 09224201 |
| Kerugoya Boys High School | Kirinyaga Centra | Boys | Boarding | 09203401 |
| Kiamutugu Boys High School | Kirinyaga East | Boys | Boarding | 09222303 |
| Kiburu Secondary School | Kirinyaga West | Boys | Boarding | 09223103 |
| Kiine Girls' Secondary School | Kirinyaga West | Girls | Boarding | 09223202 |
| Mugumo Girls' Secondary School | Kirinyaga East | Girls | Boarding | 09222104 |
| Mukangu Boys Secondary School | Kirinyaga West | Boys | Boarding | 09223204 |
| Ngaru Girls Secondary School | Kirinyaga Centra | Girls | Boarding | 09203404 |
| Ngiriambu Girls Secondary School | Kirinyaga East | Girls | Boarding | 09222301 |
| Njega Boys Secondary School | Kirinyaga Centra | Boys | Boarding | 09203427 |
| St Marys Karumandi Secondary School | Kirinyaga East | Boys | Boarding | 09222202 |
| St. Bakhita Kiburia Girls' Secondary School | Kirinyaga East | Girls | Boarding | 09222204 |
| St. Mary's Mwea Girls Secondary School | Mwea West | Girls | Boarding | 09239105 |
| St. Rita Kiaragana Girls Secondary School | Kirinyaga West | Girls | Boarding | 09223105 |
Source: Ministry of Education, Cluster 2 public senior schools list (June 2025). Last checked 31 October 2026.
5 of these schools have no page on our register yet, so they appear without a link. If you run one of them, you can add your school.
Is the list complete?
Not certainly. The June 2025 files hold 204 Cluster 1 and 692 Cluster 2 schools across Kenya, the same totals the Daily Nation reported. Lists published in 2026 add more Cluster 1 schools across Kenya, and some special needs schools. We could not open the Ministry's placement portal to confirm the current list, so we show the June 2025 list as it stands and will add schools once we can check them against the Ministry's own data.
What the clusters mean
The Ministry now groups public senior schools into four clusters instead of the old national, extra-county, county and sub-county labels. Former national schools are Cluster 1, extra-county schools are Cluster 2, county schools Cluster 3 and sub-county schools Cluster 4.
The clusters are about career pathways. Senior school has three: STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), Social Sciences, and Arts and Sports Science. Cluster 1 schools offer all three. Schools in Clusters 2, 3 and 4 must offer at least two, and STEM has to be one of them.
How to choose among Kirinyaga's national and extra-county schools
- Start from the pathway. If your child wants Arts and Sports Science, a Cluster 1 school is the surest place to find it, since those schools offer all three pathways. For STEM, every school on this page offers it.
- Check the gender. Most of these schools take girls only or boys only. Check the Students column before you shortlist.
- Plan for boarding. Every school on the Kirinyaga lists is a boarding school, so budget for boarding fees and the items list.
- Spread your choices across clusters. The Grade 10 selection guidelines set how many choices come from each cluster. Your Grade 9 head teacher has the current form.
- Confirm before you rely on it. Placement looks at learner choice, merit, psychometric test results, regional equity and school capacity, so a choice is not a guarantee. Check each school's subject combinations directly.
Frequently asked questions
How many national schools are in Kirinyaga?
The Ministry's June 2025 list has 4 Cluster 1 (national) schools in Kirinyaga County.
Which national schools in Kirinyaga are for girls?
Kabare Girls' High School, Mutira Girls Secondary School.
Which national schools in Kirinyaga are for boys?
Baricho High School, Kianyaga High School.
Are there mixed national schools in Kirinyaga?
None of the 4 Cluster 1 schools on the June 2025 list is mixed.
How many extra-county schools are in Kirinyaga?
15, according to the Ministry's June 2025 list.
Which is the best national school in Kirinyaga?
We cannot say. KNEC publishes no school ranking and we hold no school-level KCSE results, so this page lists schools without ranking them.
What is the difference between a national and an extra-county school?
A national (Cluster 1) school offers all three senior school pathways. An extra-county (Cluster 2) school offers at least two, one of them STEM.
Update log
Sources
- Ministry of Education, Cluster 1 public senior schools in Kenya (June 2025), as published by Education News (checked 2026-10-31)
- Ministry of Education, Cluster 2 public senior schools in Kenya (June 2025), as published by Education News (checked 2026-10-31)
- Eastleigh Voice, new cluster model replaces national and county school categories (checked 2026-10-31)
- Daily Nation, public senior schools not evenly distributed, ministry data shows (checked 2026-10-31)
- Mwananchi (Nation Media Group), ministry reclassifies secondary schools ahead of senior school rollout (checked 2026-10-31)
- The Star, what next after the KJSEA results (checked 2026-10-31)
- Education News Hub, list of C1 national schools (2026) (checked 2026-10-31)