St. Mary’s Girls High School Igoji is a national girls’ secondary school nestled in the serene hills of Meru County. Its story stretches far back into the early 1900s, when the late Edward Butler Horne—famously nicknamed “Kangangi” by locals for his constant travels—arrived in Meru as the District Commissioner in 1907.
Horne later granted the United Methodist Church permission to set up mission work in the region, leading to the establishment of the first mission station at Kagaa in 1912. These early missions mainly focused on educating boys, and the Kiswahili word “kusoma” (to read) soon became deeply intertwined with the spread of Christianity.
The Birth of Igoji Girls
The idea of structured education for girls took shape gradually, and on April 11, 1943, the Consolata Sisters officially founded St. Mary’s High School Igoji. The school began as an intermediate institution on a five-acre piece of land generously donated by the local community.
Many of the school’s original buildings are still standing today—beautiful reminders of its long history. These include the iconic dining hall, the old kitchen, dormitories, and classrooms, all built with chisel-dressed stone walls, corrugated iron roofs, timber doors, and wooden casement windows fitted with wire mesh. The architecture captures the spirit of the era in which the school began.
The A-level program at the school was phased out in 1989 as Kenya transitioned to the 8-4-4 education system. Since then, admission has been based on KCPE performance, and later the KPSEA assessment under the CBC curriculum.
St. Mary’s Girls Igoji has grown into a vibrant national school with more than 1,000 students. It was officially elevated to national school status in 2012, a milestone earned through years of consistent academic excellence. Every year, over 200 students join the school based on merit and national selection guidelines.
KCSE Performance
For many years, Igoji Girls has maintained a strong academic reputation, frequently ranking among Kenya’s top 100 secondary schools.
In the 2024 KCSE:
364 candidates sat the exam
Although there were no straight As, the class performed impressively with:
20 A- (minus)
61 B+
101 B
108 B-
51 C+
Mid-tier grades included:
18 C
4 C-
1 D+
Notably, no student scored a plain D.
The school posted a mean score of 8.4945, slightly lower than the 8.8392 achieved in 2023 but still strong and competitive.
School Fees
St. Mary’s Girls Igoji is classified as a Cluster IV national school, a designation reserved for institutions with exceptional academic performance, facilities, and staffing capacity. It is also the only girls’ national school in Meru County.
Under the Ministry of Education’s 2020 guidelines, the annual fee cap for Cluster IV schools is approximately Ksh 75,798.
Actual payable fees may be slightly higher depending on:
BoM-approved development levies
Co-curricular activity charges
Motivation programs
Uniform requirements
Infrastructure development needs
All extra charges must comply with government regulations.
Location & Contact Information
St. Mary’s Girls High School Igoji is located in Igoji, Imenti South Sub-County, Meru County, around 31 km south of Meru town.
Contact Details
Email: saintmarys.igoji@gmail.com
Postal Address: P.O. Box 38–60402, Igoji
KNEC Code: 15300012