THE ROLE OF MILL HILL MISSIONARIES TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF SECONDARY EDUCATION IN KISUMU COUNTY: NYABONDO BOYS SECONDARY SCHOOL, 1935 TO 1985.

Abstract

Purpose: This paper describes the contribution of Mill Hill Missionaries (M.H.M) to the development of Secondary Education in Kisumu County, Kenya. The paper also deals with the nature of early education in the area, the relationship that existed among Mill Hill Mission schools and lastly, the educational developments at Nyabondo Boys Secondary School. Methodology: Being a historical study, the historical method of inquiry into the past was adopted. Primary sources of data consulted included oral testimonies of actual participants or witnesses of events in Kisumu County. Other primary sources used were archival documents either personal or institutional such as correspondences, photographs, mission publications, minutes of meetings and colonial government annual reports. The main secondary sources utilized were published and unpublished articles and books. The oral interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using qualitative method. Results: The study findings demonstrated that the spread of Western education and Christianity in Kisumu County led to social transformation of the Luo from traditional to modern practices. The findings further revealed that African catechists played a great role in the development of Western education and Christianity in Kisumu County. It can be concluded that, M.H.M played a vital role on the growth and development of secondary education in Kisumu County through the establishment of Nyabondo Boys Secondary School. The historical growth and development of the school from 1935 to 1985 can be greatly attributed to the activities of the M.H.M as well as the roles that Africans played in supporting the missionaries establish the school in the region. The establishment of the school in return was instrumental to a positive transformation of Nyabondo community and beyond to the Kenyan nation.