Male candidates dominate 2023 KCPE

Moi Educational Center celebrates their top candidate Jeremy Rotich who scored 424 marks in the 2023 KCPE exam. [Edward Kiplimo, Standard]

The number of female candidates who sat for the 2023 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) compared to previous years.

However, Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu noted that gender parity has been achieved for the past nine years.

Machogu said the gains were realized between 2013 and 2022 when the country achieved near gender parity for male and female candidates.

"In 2023 the gender parity slightly shifted in favor of the male at 51.30 per cent and female candidates at 48.70 per cent," Machogu said.

The CS noted that when the KCPE exams were first administered in the country 39 years ago, the disparity in educational access between genders was stark.

"The 8-4-4 period has recorded an improvement on achieving gender parity in the education sector, in 1985, the country had a low gender parity favoring the male candidates at 59.2 per cent and female candidates at 40.8 per cent," Machogu said.

This achievement, he said, signifies substantial efforts and initiatives aimed at promoting equal access to education for both genders.

Machogu explained that attainment indicates positive trends in enrollment, retention, and educational opportunities for girls, reducing the gap that existed previously.

In the 2023 KCPE examination, out of the 1,406,557 candidates who sat the examination, 685,017 were female representing 48.70 per cent.

Another 721,544 were male representing 51.30 per cent.

Some 10 counties had a significant entry of more male than female candidates.

They include, Mandera, Garissa, Wajir, Nyamira, Baringo, Turkana, Machakos, Samburu, Makueni and Nandi counties.

Only Isiolo county recorded a significant number of female candidates compared to male candidates.

Out of the 205 candidates who did not register for KCPE but managed to sit for the examinations, 125 were male and 80 were female.