In 1904, a 28-year-old British settler, Arnold Butler McDonell, arrived in Mombasa from England, ready to start a new life in the British East Africa Protectorate (IBEA). Until then, Arnold had been living with his parents and working as a junior architect back home. Determined to embrace new opportunities, he gathered his savings and set out for Africa, venturing into an unknown future.

From Mombasa, Arnold journeyed inland, passing through the Nairobi Railway Station. He continued westward into the mountainous highlands, eventually arriving at a small settlement called Limuru. Arnold chose to settle in an area adjacent to Limuru, known as Tigoni—now considered the wealthiest village in Kenya. There, he purchased 350 acres of fertile land from the British government. The land, part of the so-called “White Highlands,” had been appropriated from local Africans without compensation. Arnold named his new home Kiambethu Farm, meaning “foggy farm,” a name that eventually inspired the district and county name, Kiambu.

Initially, Arnold struggled with farming, as the high altitude of Limuru hindered the growth of the crops he tried to cultivate. However, three years after his arrival, his long-time sweetheart, Agnes Evelyn, joined him in Kenya. The couple, who had maintained a long-distance relationship, could no longer bear to be apart. Upon her arrival in Mombasa, Arnold married Agnes the same day, and they traveled together to the highlands.

The couple settled on Kiambethu Farm and embraced their new life. About a year later, they welcomed their first child, Evelyn Mitchell McDonell. Over the years, they were blessed with three more daughters. With a growing family, Arnold became deeply focused on providing for his household and ensuring his children had the best care and education.

In 1918, a friend sent Arnold tea seedlings from India. Recognizing the highlands’ optimum conditions for tea cultivation, Arnold planted the seedlings, which thrived. This marked the beginning of his legacy as the first commercial tea planter in Africa. Arnold’s groundbreaking efforts positioned Kenya as a global leader in tea production, now ranked third in the world after Sri Lanka and Brazil.

As Arnold and Agnes’s daughters reached school age, the couple faced the challenge of finding quality education. Since there were no schools offering a European curriculum in Tigoni, Arnold hired a governess to homeschool his daughters. However, his vision extended beyond homeschooling. Combining his background in architecture and his commitment to education, Arnold embarked on building a school on Kiambethu Farm in 1922.

Hill Preparatory School, as he named it, was initially established as a girls-only school. His eldest daughter, Evelyn, became the first pupil, with the governess serving as the headmistress. News of Hill Prep spread throughout Tigoni, attracting both European and African parents eager to enroll their daughters. The school adopted a curriculum modeled on the British public education system, providing formal education to girls in the area.

As the school grew, so did its influence. When Evelyn was ready to transition to secondary education, Hill Prep gradually evolved into Limuru Girls School. Around the same time, Arnold shifted his focus back to tea farming. By 1926, his agribusiness had expanded significantly. He decided to sell the school and the 60 acres of land it occupied to the Church Missionary Society. Over the years, Limuru Girls School changed ownership multiple times until it was officially taken over by the Kenyan government in 1974. Today, it remains a prestigious national public secondary school.

Arnold Butler McDonell’s legacy lives on. Through Limuru Girls School—fondly known as “Chox”—and the lush tea plantations of Tigoni, his impact continues to shape the region. Tigoni, now one of Kenya’s richest villages, owes much of its identity to the pioneering efforts of Arnold McDonell, whose vision transformed not only a farm but an entire community.