Kenya’s KCPE conquerors: Faces of the Top 10 candidates nationally

**From left: Mbugua Sharon Wairimu (426 marks), Kimani Ethan Karuga (426 marks) and Diana Rose Matolo (425 marks). [Standard]**

Kenya continues to celebrate KCPE champions one day after Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha released the 2021 KCPE results.

Despite the overall top score reducing by 5 points, compared to the 2020 KCPE, more candidates attained the coveted 400-plus mark in the national tests.

Bruce MacKenzie Magata of Gilgil Hills Academy emerged the best pupil countrywide with 428 marks out of the possible 500. He was followed closely by Ashley Kerubo Momanyi of the Makini School, Kibos.

Private schools accounted for 12 out of 14 topmost spots in the results released on Monday, March 28.

The number of pupils with at least 400 marks in the latest release was 11,857, nearly a one per cent increase from the previous year, where candidates with over 400 marks were 8,091.

The number of pupils who scored between 300 and 399 marks in the 2021 KCPE were 315,275; 200-299 KCPE marks (578,197); 100-199 KCPE points (307,532) and 01-99 KCPE marks (1,170).

There were some 11,523 candidates who enrolled for the exam, but failed to sit for it. The total number of pupils who wrote the exam stood at 1,214,031.

Education CS George Magoha said 320 KCPE candidates were caught cheating, and seven exam administrators implicated.

The minister asked the Teachers Service Commission CEO Nancy Macharia to institute legal action against the seven teachers who aided in exam malpractice.

Magoha said some 9,000 needy top scorers would benefit from a scholarship organised by the State.

“I wish to appeal to the president to provide money this year to cover the 9,000 scholarships under the Elimu Scholarship Programme to support our needy children,” he said during his address at KNEC Headquarters in Nairobi on Monday, March 28.

Twelve counties registered a higher female candidate population than male. These are Mombasa, Meru, Isiolo, Tharaka Nithi, Nairobi, Uasin Gishu, Busia, Bungoma, Kakamega, Vihiga, Kisumu and Siaya.

The number of registered candidates who were 12 years and below increased from 26,378 (2.21 per cent) in 2020 to 33,627 (2.74 per cent) in 2021, the CS said.

The counties which had the highest entry for candidates who were 12 years and below in the 2021 KCPE examination were Baringo (1,302), Bomet (1,932), Kericho (1,846), West Pokot (947) and Nyamira (1,111). These counties, except Nyamira, recorded a similar trend in the 2020 KCPE exam.

“The highest number of candidates – 551,920; (45.03 per cent) – were in the appropriate age bracket of 13-14 years, a trend which has been replicated in the last five years,” said Magoha.

English Composition, Kiswahili Lugha, Kiswahili Insha, Kenyan Sign Language Composition, Science and Social Studies recorded improved performance.

On the other hand, Mathematics, English language and Religious Education, recorded a drop in performance compared to 2020.

“In terms of gender, the performance of male and female candidates was comparable. However, female candidates performed slightly better than their male counterparts in English and Kiswahili,” said the CS.

“Male candidates performed slightly better than their female counterparts in Kenyan Sign Language, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies and Religious Education,” he said.

The minister revealed that the 2021 KCPE had more boys sitting for the exam than their female counterparts.

“Of the total 1,214,031 candidates [who wrote the exam], 610,384 (50.28 per cent) were boys and 603,647 (49.72 per cent) girls,” he said.

Below are pictures of the top KCPE candidates in the 2021 national exam:

Magata Bruce MacKenzie