NYERI: Newly promoted national schools in Central Kenya claimed their place among top performers in last year’s Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations.
The schools improved significantly with many of them scoring a mean of 9.0 points to overshadow other academic old guards.
Though traditional academic giants like Alliance Boys and Girls, Mang'u High School, Limuru Girls, Maryhill and Loreto Limuru Girls dominated the charts, they shared top spots with Murang'a High School, Mugoiri Girls, Kagumo High School, Nyeri High School, Moi High School Mbiruri, Nyangwa Boys and Kyeni Girls High School.
Others including Baricho Boys, Kabare Girls, Siakago Boys and Siakago Girls made their presence known.
Church-run institutions like St Mary's Boys High School, St Mary's Igoji and Bishop Gatimu Ngandu Girls also sparkled in last year's KCSE examinations.
In Nyeri, apart from church-run institutions like St Mary's Boys High School with a mean of 9.728 and Bishop Gatimu Ngandu Girls with a mean of 9.68, the rest of the leading schools were public schools.
From Tuesday's results, St Mary's led the pack followed closely by Bishop Gatimu, Kagumo High, Nyeri High, Othaya Boys, Mahiga Girls, Kanjuri Boys, Karima Boys, Tumutumu Girls and Kirimara Boys.
In Embu County, Moi High School Mbiruri emerged top after beating other academic giants. The school, which was elevated to national status in 2011, garnered the highest score in the county at 9.244 points and also produced the best student, Moses Marangu, with an A of 84 points.
Nguviu Boys took the second spot with 9.194 points slightly ahead of Nyangwa Boys with 9.168 points. Kyeni Girls was the leading girls' school in the county with a mean of 8.9 points, though that was a drop from 9.5 points in 2013 when it led in the county. Others like Siakago Boys got a mean score of 8.9 points, Mayori (8.7 points), Kangaru Boys (8.6 points) and Siakago Girls 7.9 points.
Meru County registered an improvement in the examination. Some schools that posted impressive results, were Miathene Boys in Tigania West, St Mary's Girls in Imenti South, Burieruri Boys (Igembe Central) and Kaaga Boys (Imenti North). Miathene Boys had a mean score of 8.6.
Despite the lack of official ranking, Meru School with a mean score of 9.8 points appears to be the leading school in the county. Other top performers in the county were St Mary's Girls Igoji which had a mean score of 8.5 points and Njia Boys High School registered an improved performance after scoring 8.2 points.
Mikinduri Girls High School in Tigania East followed closely with a mean of 8.0 points and Kariene Mixed Day Secondary School in Imenti Central with 7.7 points.
In Kirinyaga County, academic giants which have dominated the headlines, were felled along the way.
Baricho Boys High School, which is one of the two national schools in the county, led the pack after attaining a mean score of 9.35 points.The school beat Kabare Girls which had a mean score of 8.335.
Kianyaga Boys, which used to lead the county in the early 1970s all through to the late 1990s recorded a drop in performance after scoring 8.063 points from a mean score of 8.1 points in 2013.
Ngiriambu Girls High School, which has been considered a sleeping giant surprised many after posting a mean score of 8.4 points in the results.
In Murang'a County, there was jubilation by Murang'a High School students after the institution posted a mean score of 10.727 up from the previous 10.594.
The other schools which shone were Mugoiri Girls with a mean of 9.5 points up from the previous of 8.03 and Githunguri Girls in Kandara sub-County with 8.0 points. Njiiris Boys registered a decline in performance after getting a mean score of 9.04 points down from the previous 9.6. But, it was good news for Kahuhia Girls after the school improved by posting a mean score of 9.5 points up from the previous 8.96.
And Tharaka Nithi County, competition between two schools was rife after Chogoria Girls posted the best result of 10.18 points beating its counterpart Chogoria Boys which had a mean score of 9.1. The school recorded the highest mean score in the county and Mt Kenya East. Following closely were Materi Girls with 9.03 points.
Ikuu boys, recently elevated to national school status, also shone with a mean of 8.9 points followed by Kiurani Mixed School with 8.6 and Chuka Boys which scored 8.5.