Top candidates beat challenges to pursue dream courses

Femi Atieno Otung [centre],from Mukuru slums in Nairobi, who scored A - in KCSE. [Pkemoi Ng'enoh, Standard]

Despite facing challenges in their studies, some candidates who sat for the 2025 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education posted exemplary results, opening ways for them to pursue their dream courses in the university.

Among them is Femi Atieno Otung, from Mukuru kwa Njenga slums in Nairobi, who lost her father at a young age, leaving her in the hands of her mother, who raised her through hardships from primary to secondary education.

Notwithstanding the situation, Atieno was among top students who scored an A- in the 2025 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education not only making her mother proud but also the larger Mukuru slums.

Atieno, who sat her exams at St. Thérèse Mbooni Girls Secondary School in Makueni County, now wants to pursue medicine as one way of giving back to the community.

Her results per subject were: English A-, Kiswahili A-, Mathematics A, Biology A, Chemistry B+, Physics B, CRE B+, Business Study A.

"I lost my father at a young age and was raised by my mother, Lilian Akeyo, an omena vendor here in Mukuru. Life was not easy, but through resilience, discipline, faith, and community support, I remained focused on my education," she said

Adding that, "I give special thanks to my hardworking mother, my teachers, my community, and above all, God Almighty. I humbly appeal for support to pursue my dream of studying Medicine in any recognized local or international university. With the right opportunity, I am determined to serve humanity, especially communities like Mukuru,"

Emmanuel Njoka was among the best students at Merishaw school with an A- of 80 points.

Njoka scored A in all the sciences and A- in languages, which allows him to pursue medicine, his childhood dream.

"It has been my wish to pursue medicine, and the results mostly from the science have reinforced my dream," Njoka said

He attributed his success to support from the school management, parents and teachers.

"The exposure I got from the school also played a big role because I got opportunities to travel out of the country, including South Africa, for science competitions," said Njoka.

"I'm happy that he performed well and the cluster points are good, and he can pursue what he wants because he is also a good researcher," Peris Njeri, his mother said 

Another candidate, John Victor Mbuu, from the same school, posted an A- of 80 points and has two options to pursue, medicine and aeronautical engineering.

"Our school and my parents pushed me to achieve this, and I'm glad. I'm weighing between medicine and aeronautical engineering in the university," he said