Onjiko High School near Ahero township in Kisumu County was founded by the African Inland Church (AIC) in 1963, about 200metres off the Kisumu-Nairobi Highway, near the Kisii junction.
Nearly all old boys who passed through ‘Onjikse’ have for long been accustomed to a popular catch-phrase: ‘Onjiko Onge min ng’ato (Luo for Onjiko is nobody’s mother’).
The hackneyed phrase handed over down the generations has stuck chiefly due to the hardships students underwent in their quest for knowledge.
Most former Onjiko alumni admit that the school operated like a mini military camp, where senior students commanded much respect from Form Ones who were often directed to do odd jobs like washing dirty sports uniform with a slice of soap measuring 2cm by 4cm! No questions asked!
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Another lasting memory old Onjiko students have is the mud they were forced to wade through as they went to classrooms — which got worse during the long rains season. Luckily last year under current Principal Daniel Ochiel, concrete pavements were constructed.
Oh! Also for ages, Onjiko soccer team communicated on the field in mother tongue!
Notable alumni include controversial lawyer and author Miguna Miguna and blogger Robert Alai. Others guided by the motto: ‘Endeavour to Excel’ while sporting grey trousers and sweaters, white shirts and navy blue ties with white stripes are Seme MP Dr James Nyikal, University of Nairobi Linguistics lecturer Dr Meja Ikobwa and former Education secretary Enos Oyaya.
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