Nairobi County has 115 public senior secondary schools spread across 11 sub-counties. They are organised into four placement clusters — C1 national, C2 extra-county, C3 county and C4 sub-county. The cluster your child is placed in depends entirely on their final weighted CBE placement score. Here is every school, every cluster, every sub-county.

How the Cluster System Works

Under Kenya's CBE senior school placement system, every public secondary school is assigned to one of four clusters based on its capacity, facilities and national standing. Placement works from the top down — the highest-scoring learners nationally fill C1 schools first, then C2, then C3, then C4.

ClusterSchool TypeWho Gets Placed Here
C1National schoolsHighest scoring learners nationally — compete with all learners across Kenya
C2Extra-county schoolsHigh scoring learners placed outside their home county
C3County schoolsMid-range scores placed within Nairobi County
C4Sub-county and day schoolsRemaining learners placed in their local sub-county
Key fact: Being placed in a C4 school does not mean your child failed. It means the available C1, C2 and C3 spaces were filled by learners with higher composite scores. Every learner is guaranteed a senior school place under CBE.

C1 National Schools in Nairobi County

African boy wearing white top in Kenya

Nairobi has 13 C1 national schools. These are the most competitive placements in the county. Learners placed here competed against all Grade 9 learners nationally.

School NameSub-CountyTypeGender
Lenana SchoolDagorettiBoardingBoys
Precious Blood RirutaDagorettiBoardingGirls
Moi Forces AcademyKamukunjiBoardingBoys
Kasarani Treeside School for the DeafKasaraniBoardingMixed
Starehe Girls CentreKasaraniBoardingGirls
Moi Girls SecondaryKibraBoardingGirls
Buruburu Girls SecondaryMakadaraBoardingGirls
Pangani Girls SecondaryStareheBoardingGirls
Starehe Boys CentreStareheBoardingBoys
Kenya High SchoolWestlandsBoardingGirls
Nairobi SchoolWestlandsBoardingBoys
St Georges Girls SecondaryWestlandsBoardingGirls
State House Girls SecondaryWestlandsBoardingGirls

C2 Extra-County Schools in Nairobi County

Nairobi has 21 C2 extra-county schools. Learners from outside Nairobi can be placed here, and Nairobi learners with strong scores can be placed in C2 schools in other counties.

School NameSub-CountyTypeGender
Dagoretti High SchoolDagorettiBoardingBoys
St Claire Nembu GirlsDagorettiBoardingGirls
OLM Shauri MoyoKamukunjiBoardingGirls
Uhuru SecondaryKamukunjiBoardingBoys
Upper Hill SecondaryKibraBoardingBoys
Karen C Girls SecondaryLangataBoardingGirls
Langata High SchoolLangataBoardingBoys
Aquinas High SchoolMakadaraBoardingBoys
Highway SecondaryMakadaraBoardingBoys
Huruma Girls High SchoolMakadaraBoardingGirls
Ofafa Jericho High SchoolMakadaraBoardingBoys
Our Lady of Mercy SecondaryMakadaraBoardingGirls
St Annes Girls SecondaryMakadaraBoardingGirls
Muhuri Muchiri SecondaryNjiruBoardingBoys
Dr Riberio ParklandsStareheBoardingBoys
Jamhuri High SchoolStareheBoardingBoys
Ngara Girls SecondaryStareheBoardingGirls
Pumwani Boys SecondaryStareheBoardingBoys
Highridge Girls SecondaryWestlandsBoardingGirls
Hospital Hill High SchoolWestlandsBoardingBoys
Parklands Arya GirlsWestlandsBoardingGirls

C3 County Schools in Nairobi County

Nairobi has 12 C3 county schools. These are strong schools that draw learners from across Nairobi County.

School NameSub-CountyTypeGender
Mutuini High SchoolDagorettiBoardingBoys
Ruthimitu Girls SecondaryDagorettiBoardingGirls
Embakasi Girls SecondaryEmbakasiBoardingGirls
Maina Wanjigi SecondaryKamukunjiBoardingGirls
PCEA Booth Girls Ngong ForestLangataHybridGirls
St Teresa's Girls SecondaryMathareBoardingGirls
Ruai Boys SecondaryNjiruBoardingBoys
Ruai Girls SecondaryNjiruBoardingGirls
County Girls SecondaryStareheBoardingGirls
Kangemi High SchoolWestlandsBoardingBoys
Lavington Girls SecondaryWestlandsBoardingGirls
State House Boys SecondaryWestlandsBoardingBoys

C4 Sub-County Schools in Nairobi County

Nairobi has 69 C4 sub-county day schools. These are local schools serving learners in their immediate area. Being placed in a C4 school means your child studies close to home with peers from the same community.

School NameSub-CountyGender
Beth Mugo High SchoolDagorettiMixed
Dagoretti Mixed SecondaryDagorettiMixed
Kagira Mixed SecondaryDagorettiMixed
Mukarara Mixed SecondaryDagorettiMixed
Mutuini Girls SecondaryDagorettiGirls
Ndurarua High SchoolDagorettiMixed
Riruta Satellite SecondaryDagorettiGirls
Ruthimitu Mixed SecondaryDagorettiMixed
Embakasi Garrison SecondaryEmbakasiMixed
Kayole South SecondaryEmbakasiMixed
Kware SecondaryEmbakasiMixed
Mwangaza SecondaryEmbakasiMixed
Peter Kibukosya SecondaryEmbakasiMixed
Reuben Secondary SchoolEmbakasiMixed
The Komarock SchoolEmbakasiMixed
Utawala SecondaryEmbakasiMixed
Eastleigh High SchoolKamukunjiBoys
Kamukunji SecondaryKamukunjiMixed
St Teresas SecondaryKamukunjiBoys
Zawadi SecondaryKamukunjiMixed
Baba Dogo SecondaryKasaraniMixed
Clay City Mixed SecondaryKasaraniMixed
Garden Estate SecondaryKasaraniMixed
Githurai SecondaryKasaraniMixed
GSU SecondaryKasaraniMixed
Hon John Njoroge SecondaryKasaraniMixed
Kahawa Garrison SecondaryKasaraniMixed
Kamiti SecondaryKasaraniMixed
Kariobangi North GirlsKasaraniGirls
Kiwanja SecondaryKasaraniMixed
Mwiki SecondaryKasaraniMixed
Our Lady of Fatima SecondaryKasaraniMixed
Ruaraka High SchoolKasaraniMixed
TJ Kajwang SecondaryKasaraniMixed
Kibera SecondaryKibraMixed
Mbagathi Road SecondaryKibraGirls
Olympic SecondaryKibraMixed
Raila Educational CentreKibraMixed
Shadrack Kimalel SecondaryKibraMixed
Woodley SecondaryKibraMixed
Kongoni Mixed SecondaryLangataMixed
Langata Barracks Mixed Day SecondaryLangataMixed
Makongeni High SchoolMakadaraMixed
Nairobi South SecondaryMakadaraMixed
Nile Road SecondaryMakadaraGirls
St Patrick Nairobi Mixed SecondaryMakadaraMixed
Star of Hope SecondaryMakadaraMixed
Huruma Mixed SecondaryMathareMixed
Mathari Mixed SecondaryMathareMixed
Ndururuno SecondaryMathareMixed
Dandora Girls SecondaryNjiruGirls
Dandora SecondaryNjiruMixed
Dr Mwenje SecondaryNjiruMixed
Drum Vale SecondaryNjiruMixed
Gituamba SecondaryNjiruMixed
Highway Manyatta SecondaryNjiruMixed
Jehova Jire SecondaryNjiruMixed
Mihango SecondaryNjiruMixed
Nile Road Special SecondaryNjiruGirls
Njiru Mixed SecondaryNjiruMixed
St Dominics SecondaryNjiruMixed
St Georges Athi SecondaryNjiruMixed
Ushirika SecondaryNjiruMixed
CGHU Mixed SecondaryStareheMixed
Pumwani Girls SecondaryStareheGirls
Farasi Lane SecondaryWestlandsMixed
Kabete Vetlab SecondaryWestlandsMixed
Loresho SecondaryWestlandsMixed
North Highridge SecondaryWestlandsMixed

How to Appeal or Change a Nairobi Placement

After placement results are released, learners have a two-week window to request a change through the Ministry of Education portal at placement.education.go.ke. Changes are subject to space availability at the requested school. A learner cannot be moved to a higher cluster than their score qualifies them for, but transfers between schools of similar standing within the same cluster are possible if spaces exist.

The Bottom Line

Nairobi County has 115 public senior secondary schools across four clusters. The cluster your child enters depends on their composite CBE placement score. Every learner is guaranteed a place. Use this guide to understand exactly where your child has been placed and what options exist if you want to request a change.