"Scored Es in maths": Musingu High, school that shaped Edwin Sifuna

This story has significance for readers across Kenya and beyond.

- Senator Edwin Sifuna attended Musingu High School in Kakamega, where his academic journey was far from smooth

- The politician was candid about struggling with Mathematics and even dropping Chemistry, and shared his favourite subjects

- The senator returned to his former school 26 years later to address the Class of 2025, describing the moment as indescribable

Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has never been shy about his school days, and his time at Musingu High School in Kakamega County is a story that many struggling students will find refreshingly relatable.

Musingu has built a reputation that extends well beyond the classroom.

The school's football side, the Scorpions, claimed their last national Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association title back in 1984.

However, they have enjoyed a strong recent resurgence, finishing as national runners-up in both 2024 and 2025 under coach Brendan Mwinamo. The team has also represented the region at East African FEASSA competitions.

The school has additionally claimed national hockey titles, county rugby 15s crowns after lengthy dry spells, and produced strong performers in handball, volleyball, and basketball.

Sifuna joined Musingu in 1996 and sat his final exams in 1999.

The school, a respected boys' boarding institution nestled along the Kakamega-Kisumu Highway, was founded on Quaker values of peace, integrity, equality, and simplicity, with its roots tracing back to the Friends Church's arrival in the region around 1920.

Not every subject came easily to the senator. Chemistry was the first casualty.

"I dropped Chemistry in Form 2 after scoring 16%. I enjoyed light subjects like English, Kiswahili, and Geography," Sifuna has said publicly.

Mathematics was another battle entirely. He scored E grades regularly throughout his time at the school, with a C at KCSE representing his personal best in the subject.

"Maths was hard for me. The best I scored was a C grade, but I always scored E many times — it was the standard. I got a C at KCSE. We did not have a leakage for the exam," he recalled.

It was English and the arts-leaning subjects where Sifuna truly found his footing. When university clusters were released, that strength pointed him directly towards a legal career.

"When they shared clusters for the courses for university, law favoured me," he said.

In June 2025, Sifuna made a sentimental return to his former school to speak to the current Form Four cohort.

The visit came 26 years after he walked out of those gates as a student.

"It's been 26 years since I left Musingu. The feeling of being back there and getting a chance to speak to the Class of 2025 as a Senator cannot be described," he said.

Sifuna's story from Musingu is a reminder that academic struggles in one subject do not define a student's ceiling.

Source: TUKO.co.ke

Reporting originally appeared via TUKO. Read the full source for additional context.