Mangu High School produced the top student in KCSE examination results for the second year running in what saw old academic giants also produce top students in the national roll.
The results released by Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha also show that Kapsabet Boys' High School and the Kenya High have, respectively, for the second year running, scooped position one and two nationally.
Jeriel Ndeda Obura from Mangu emerged the top candidate with Grade A of 87.2 points. This however signifies a drop of 0.13 points from the school's top candidate, Simiyu Robin Wanjala, who posted 87.334 to emerge top nationally in 2020.
Timothy Mukuhu from Alliance High School emerged second, posting 87 points. Job Ngara also of Mangu scored 87.116 to emerge third. He was followed by David Kamau of St Josephs Boys' Kitale who managed 87.104 points to land position four nationally. Ramadhan Musa Tepo of Light Academy scored 87.103 to wrap the top five best candidates nationally.
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The shock results that Magoha termed as improved, also brought out names of old giants such as Precious Blood Riruta, Friends Kamusinga, St Charles Lwanga, Maranda High, Maseno School, St Josephs Rapogi Secondary School and Kanga High.
Other candidates listed among the top performers nationally include Muendo Cicily Mutheu of Kenya High with 87.086 points, Ian Mwai Toyota of Kakamega School with 87.084 points and Pita shekinah Wise of Kenya High, with 87.079 points.
Mshindi Daniel Ouma of Light Academy with 87.076 points and Brenda Cherotich of Kipsigis Girls High School managed 87.066 points to close the top 10 best candidates nationally.
Out of the 826,807 candidates who sat the exam, 1,138 obtained overall Grade A compared to 893 candidates in 2020. Among them were 349 girls and 789 boys.
The number of candidates with minimum university entry qualification of C+ and above rose to 145,145 in 2021 compared to 143,140 in 2020 KCSE exam.
KCSE candidates who scored a minimum TVET Diploma courses qualification of grade C- and above in 2021 were 325,896.
“We, therefore, need to invest more in TVET institutions where the bulk of our KCSE graduands will study,” said the CS.
Some 223 Special Needs candidates obtained an overall grade C+ and above in 2021 KCSE examination with only two scoring Grade A.
Overall, Magoha said sub-county schools, which are the day institutions also produced top candidates with high scores nationally.
Magoha put an emphasis on performance of day schools where a total of 17,327 attained C+ and above, with 128 of them getting a mean grade of A- and above.
Candidates in sub county schools and who scored between 74 and 84 points per region were Anthony Njuguna Muhoro, Owino Eric, Karwitha Clinton Mutwiri, Achesa Alukoti, Ndiangui Frank, Mulei Kelvin, Denis Mwamburi and Ronald Kipkoech.
The top 10 sub county secondary schools that recorded high performance include Nyakeore (Nyanza), Kebulonik (Rift Valley), Banisa Mixed (North Eastern), Manyatta Mixed (Eastern), Shibanga Mixed (Western), Heni(Central), Mary Happy Day(Nairobi) and Alfarsy Girls in Coast.
Special school also produced top candidates. Out of the top 15 include Reuben Osoro who scored Grade from Kapsabet Boys, Agot Saulo Olango (A) from Maranad High and Otieno Omondi Stanely who scored Grade A- from Maseno School. Overall Male candidates scored higher grades than female candidates.
Magoha also recognised some eight candidates who joined secondary schools with below 250 marks but managed to score Grade B and above.
They include Sharon Cheptoo who had 267 marks but managed to score Grade A- (minus) and Cindy Adhiambo had 167 marks but managed to get Grade B-.
"There is an opportunity in every school. But there a belief that national schools perform better but they are regimented," said the CS.
On gender parity, Magoha said of the 826,807 candidates who sat the 2021 KCSE examination, 421,318 were male while 405,489 were female with 19 counties posting higher numbers of female candidates compared to 15 counties in 2020.
The candidates recorded a decline in subject performance where only 11 subjects had higher improvement in the 2021 exam compared to 19 subjects that recorded a significant improvement in performance in 2020.
On cheating, the 441 candidates who were caught in malpractices have been cancelled. Magoha said all results for one school that was involved in exam cheating were withheld.
KNEC CEO David Njengere said registration for 2022 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE), Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination and Grade Six Summative will start on April 27 and close May 14.
“We are urging parents to take the responsibility to ensure your child is registered for these exams to avoid the last-minute rush. KNEC will not have late registration,” said Njengere.
This year’s KCSE being the last exam that was administered outside the regular October –November national examination season, Principal Secretary for Basic Education Julius Jwan appealed to the principals not to send home students for lack of school fees.
Jwan noted that more than Sh19 billion for capitation has been released to schools ahead of next week’s schools reopening.
“I plead with principals especially in boarding schools to treat the parents gently so that learners do not waste time at home bearing in mind that we are going to have a fairly short year. In regard to examination registration, nobody should charge any learner any money for registration of the three exams,” said the PS
Jwan urged parents with children boarding schools to agree on fees payment schedules with schools so s for cater to boarding and feeding money.
“The year has been shortened and schools have been authorised to carry out minimal co-curricular activities starting next term,” said Jwan.
Teachers Service Commission (TSC) CEO Nancy Macharia said the commission had been allocated Sh3.7 billion to employ 5,000 teachers on permanent terms starting July and another 6,000 intern teachers to ease the shortage in schools.
According to Macharia, staffing shortage in schools stands at 114,581. She said the bulk of the new teachers will be posted to sub county secondary schools, which admit the bulk of learners.
On implementation of CBC, Macharia said the commission will start CBC training on April 25 for 60,000 secondary school teachers in preparation for Junior Secondary School which commences in January next year.
“The first phase of this training will involve 60,000 teachers drawn from public and private secondary schools, including Special Need Institutions and will be concluded on May 13,” said Macharia.
She said they target is to train all 116,024 secondary school teachers by the end of this year.
“I wish to assure the country that teachers are adequately prepared for the Grade Six CBC rollout starting this month ahead of their transition to Junior School in January," she said.
Further, Macharia said 1,594 principals and heads of schools who were meant to retire in 2020 and 2021 will have optional extensions to work under contract for a period of up to two years.
“since most of the Covid-19 restrictions have been lifted, and the pandemic eased, the commission will now release the affected principals, and fill in their positions competitively ahead of the resumption of the normal academic calendar cycle in January 2023,” she said.
“Principals offered to remain in service for an extended period to help us to stabilise our schools to ensure academic programmes ran uninterrupted,” she added.
In effort to motivate teachers, TSC boss announced the commission will be awarding teachers who have posted excellent performance after President Uhuru Kenyatta approved the commission’s proposal to introducer a Mwalimu Award to recognise well-performing teachers.
