Mang'u High School, one of Kenya's most prominent and long-established secondary schools, is confronting an unusual combination of challenges: inadequate classroom space, ageing infrastructure and the reported presence of hyenas and snakes within or around the school environment.
Principal Bernard King'ah said the school, which occupies about 209 acres in Juja Sub-County, has several underutilised and ageing buildings while at the same time lacking enough classrooms to accommodate its growing enrolment of about 2,800 students. The school currently has about 137 teaching staff and 79 non-teaching staff. "In terms of facilities, in several areas we have underutilised facilities. We also have a shortage of classrooms for the school enrolment," King'ah said.
He said some of the school's buildings had become old and were no longer being used to full capacity. "We also have a challenge of ageing buildings, which is quite true. And quite a number of them are underutilised as well," he said, adding that the institution was putting up new facilities to address some of the infrastructure gaps. King'ah also pointed to the school's expansive grounds as a separate management challenge, noting that high population density on campus can sometimes make interaction between students and staff difficult. The school has historically operated from different locations before settling at its current site.
Beyond classroom capacity and ageing structures, King'ah raised concerns over wildlife within the school's surroundings, including hyenas and snakes, which he said pose an additional challenge to the safety and management of the institution. Students and staff routinely move across the compound between classrooms, dormitories, dining facilities, laboratories and playing fields, making encounters with wildlife a safety matter rather than a mere environmental inconvenience.
A snake sighting may trigger panic among students, while a close encounter with a hyena could present a far greater danger. The concern points to a need for coordination beyond the school administration, with education authorities, school management and relevant wildlife agencies potentially needing to assess the surroundings, identify possible wildlife entry points and establish measures to protect the school community.
Despite these challenges, King'ah said the school has continued to perform well academically, recording a mean score of 9.8 in both 2025 and 2024. He said Mang'u continues to work towards maintaining its academic performance while addressing infrastructure needs, noting that the school's size, staffing levels and academic standing place additional pressure on its available facilities, particularly classrooms and older buildings.
The combination of insufficient classrooms, ageing infrastructure and wildlife concerns raises broader questions about long-term planning for major schools whose populations and operational demands have expanded significantly over time. King'ah said the school was doing its best to address the challenges while maintaining its academic standards, even as it works to review how existing buildings and spaces are used alongside the construction of new facilities. The concerns come as schools across the country continue to grapple with infrastructure pressures linked to rising enrolment and the condition of older buildings.
By Hillary Muhalya
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