Magata Bruce Mackenzie of  Gilgil Hills Academy is the top candidate in the 2021 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE), having scored 428 out of the possible 500 marks.

Mackenzie, who hopes to join Alliance Boys High School, attributed his sterling performance to hard work and putting in extra hours in his studies.

“I expected to pass my exams but not lead in the country. I thank God because this would not have been possible without Him,” Mackenzie, who hopes to become a Robotics Engineer after secondary school, said.

The second-best student, Momanyi Ashley Kerubo of Makini School, Kibos, scored 427 marks. Six candidates tied at position three with 426 marks.

They are: Kwoma Charity from Holy Family Misikhu Primary, Mbugua Sharon Wairimu of Emmanuel Academy, Mueti Shantel from Kitengela International School, Stanley Otieno of Rophine Field Junior School, Wekesa Naomi of White Star Academy and Kimani Ethan Karuga from Stepping Stones Preparatory School.

Like top student Mackenzie, all the leading candidates attributed their good grades to hard work, cooperation from teachers and parents, and prayers.

“I am so happy and give thanks to God for enabling me to be among the top candidates nationally,” said Momanyi Ashley.

“I am so proud of myself and I would also want to congratulate the other candidates for the exemplary performance since Prof Magoha said we have performed better than the 2020 candidates,” she said.

Education Cabinet Secretary Prof George Magoha, who released the results at Mitihani House, Nairobi, yesterday, said the overall performance had improved compared with 2020.

“Although the highest mark dropped from 433 in 2020 to 428 in 2021, the mean average performance and quality of grades for all candidates is higher,” said the CS.

He said that 8,091 candidates scored between 400 and 500 marks in the 2020 KCPE while the number increased to 11,857 in the current exam.

“This is an indicator that most candidates scored better scores than the previous year. I wish to commend all the teachers, parents and candidates for this good performance, during the challenging period,” said the CS.

Some 315,275 candidates scored 300 – 399 marks, another 578,197 had 200 – 299 marks, 307,532 others had 100 – 199 marks while 1,170 scored between 0 – 99 marks.

The CS said he was impressed that the marks range between candidates in the top 10 places is only three points and six of the 14 best were female candidates. For Special Needs candidates, the CS said the number was lower at 2,483 compared to 2,675 in 2020.

Special Needs

The categories with the highest number of candidates with special needs in the 2021 KCPE examination were those with physical disabilities at 1,013, followed by those with hearing impairment at 734. The best candidate with disabilities scored 417 marks compared with the top candidate who scored 420 marks in the 2020 KCPE examinations.

The top student in this category was Bethany Tahillah from Thorn Grove Academy, who scored 417 marks followed by Grace Neema Katana with 407 while Kamau Jackson from Muthiria, Musyoka Kings Kevin from Kathonzweni AIC and Migosi Dominic Sese of Mau Narok scored 401 marks.

Magoha said the number of candidates who sat their KCPE exam under special circumstances, including those who sat in hospitals, decreased from 1,240 in the year 2020 to 1,067 in the current exam.

The most improved public school with a candidature of 50 and above was Ngukuine in Eastern, which scored a mean grade of 250 in 2021 compared to 165 in 2020. Other improved public schools with a candidature of 50 and above were Njenga Karume in Central, Kambi ya Waya in Coast, Cheleta in Nairobi, Lenkishoni in Rift Valley, Kewa DEB in Western, Nyangiti in Nyanza and Mandera DEB in North Eastern.

The CS said individual candidates should collect their results from respective exam centres, and warned headteachers against withholding marks on account of school fees arrears. Magoha said his ministry expects to administer the last KCPE, and KCSE exams for the 2022 academic calendar in December.

“I wish to inform the country that these examinations have already been set and are in safe custody for the incoming government to administer,” he assured.

He said that administration of the December examinations will effectively mark the end of the re-arranged academic calendar that was forced upon the country by the Covid-19 disruption, occasioning a prolonged closure of schools in 2020.

Beginning January next year, he said, the country will go back to its traditional academic calendar starts in January and ends in November.

“I thank all stakeholders who have given us all the support in negotiating this difficult period, especially teachers who have had to work extra hard to ensure learners covered the syllabus within the short timelines,” said the CS.

Teachers Service Commission (TSC) Secretary Nancy Macharia said nearly all the 130,667 teachers involved in the examination conducted themselves with utmost professionalism during the KCPE process. “This is testimony to the fact that our teachers are determined to ensure a credible examination in our schools,” said Dr Macharia.