St Paul’s Amukura High School was established in 1962 in Busia County.

The Catholic sponsored boys’ school formed the basis of Butula Boys’ High School whose foundation was laid two years later — but for a whole year its pioneer 45 students were schooled at St Paul’s Amukura School.

Late assistant minister of Labour and Amagoro MP Pancreas Otwani was the longest serving principal of St Paul’s Amukura High School from 1973 to 1987.

In SPAHS, as the school is abbreviated, bullying was part of life. Learners were toughened with kicks, blows and whipping with belts by senior students.

Learning in SPAHS aka Amu was not taken for granted and besides the Latin motto Cursum Consumavi (run to the finish), a writing on the wall that read; “If you are lazy try another school,” kept the students working hard.

During hot days, the pastime was chewing sugarcanes and bathing in the open at the water pump. In the 1990s, SPAHS’s ‘Kesisiata,’ the school bus, was the hottest in Western Province.

The school is reputed for producing some notable personalities. It was here that Busia Governor Sospeter Ojaamong sat for his O-levels and A-levels from 1979 to 1985. Former Energy minister and former Nambale MP Chris Okemo was among the pioneer students.

Standard Group’s Head of Outdoor Advertising Kizito Namulanda was moulded here as the push for multi-partyism climaxed. Former North Eastern PC and former Kandunyi MP Maurice Makhanu, former chief executive of the Alexander Forbes Group Kenya, and now president of the Actuarial Society of Kenya James Olubayi, as well as Kenyatta University’s Department of Chemistry lecturer Dr Mwangi Waweru, were also schooled here.

Moi University’s principal of College of Health Sciences Prof Fabian Omoding Esamai had an academic footing at SPAHS, then proceeded to Friends School Kamusinga. Other notable alumni include University of Nairobi Literature senior don Dr. Joseph Muleka and Bamba Sports presenter and editor Nicholas Mudimba.

Those who wore navy-blue trousers, sweaters and white shirts include BBC multimedia journalist Odeo Sirari, ICIPE senior research officer John Ochola, Akoto & Akoto Advocates’ David Adoli, Kenya Air Force fighter pilot Rasmus Otwane and BM Security head of operations Joseph Mutinyi.

Those who dozed off at Otunga Ngala, Nehru and Lumumba dorms include renewable energy lecturer at Kibabii University College Kennedy Munyole, Kenya Power’s system analyst Kennedy Asoka, the Norwegian Immigration Appeals Board Oslo Area, Norway senior communications advisor Don Radoli and Western Region National Taxpayers Association coordinator Paul Makokha.