Sawagongo High School

Sawagongo High School is a boys' national school located in Nyangweso (Gem Yala) location, Siaya County, Kenya.^[1] Anchored in the motto "Aspire to Excellence", the school is well known in Nyanza region as a paragon of academic and extra-curricular activities excellence.^[2] It is a major Nyanza Region heavyweight in Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association (KSSSA) games across disciplines like basketball, handball, soccer and athletics. The school achieved an unprecedented three-peat by winning the Siaya District Secondary Schools Soccer Championship 1995-1997 under the guidance of Mr. Fred Odindo (the games master). In 2025 Sawagongo defeated the basketball heavyweights Agoro Sare 60-55 to clinch the Nyanza Regional basketball championship. The school has also done very well in "The Great Debaters Contest Kenya'", which highlights high school students eloquence and critical thinking across the region.

History

In the KCSE of 2023 the school attained an impressive mean score of 10.138 (B+ average). It produced 27 As, 100B+s, 53Bs and 8 B-s. The school also excels in extra-curricular activities such as drama, music, soccer, basketball, athletics, hockey and volleyball. The current head of the school is Senior Principal Henry Airo Oyuga. Mr. Airo took over from the Chief Principal Maurice Ogutu, who retired at the end of 2025 after an illustrious 35-years career in the education sector. The highly competitive Chief Maurice Ogutu Scholarship at Sawagongo aims to support financially challenged yet academically gifted students. Former Principals of the school includes Mr Boniface Onyango (fondly referred to as "Kips"), Mr. Ogot (retired in 2006), Mr. Wasambo (2006-2008), Mr. Samuel Kaunda and Mr. Edward Wachilonga.