CS Ogamba: All 1,130,459 KJSEA candidates will be placed in senior schools
By Mabonga Makhanu, December 11, 2025Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogambo has released the 2025 Kenya Junior Secondary Examination Assessment (KJSEA) results and confirmed that all the 1,130,459 candidates who sat the examination will transition to senior school.
The results were issued on Thursday, December 11, 2025, by CS Ogambo at the Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) headquarters in Nairobi, accompanied by detailed statistics on learner performance, gender distribution, and the country’s preparedness for placement.
According to Education CS Julius Migambo, 578,630 of the learners were male, while 551,829 were female, accounting for 51.19 per cent and 48.81 per cent, respectively. He further noted that Nairobi registered the highest number of candidates at 71,022, followed by Kakamega with 59,384 and Nakuru with 54,128.
Education CS Ogambo explained that twenty-one counties recorded a higher entry of male candidates, while Mombasa was the only county with an equal number of male and female candidates.
He also highlighted that Isiolo, Nairobi, Samburu, Marsabit, and West Pokot were the five counties where female entries surpassed male candidates. CS Migambo added that more than half of the learners, 642,620 candidates, equivalent to 56.84 per cent, were within the recommended age bracket of 14 to 15 years.
Education CS Julius Ogambo observed that the KJSEA grading structure followed an eight-point scale, ranging from 0.1 to 0.8, designed to distinguish exemplary performance from basic proficiency.
CS Ogambo reported that out of the 12 examinable subjects, seven recorded a higher proportion of learners meeting and exceeding expectations. Hindu Religious Education posted the strongest performance, followed by Integrated Science, Social Studies, Creative Arts and Sports, Kiswahili, Christian Religious Education, and Agriculture.
The performance
He added that overall, 75 percent of the candidates achieved at least the “approaching expectations” level across subjects. Creative Arts and Sports recorded the highest combined performance, closely followed by Agriculture, Kiswahili, and Social Studies.
Education CS Julius Ogambo stated that female learners outperformed their male counterparts in 10 out of the 12 subjects.
He further explained that the most notable performance gaps were observed in Kiswahili, Christian Religious Education, English, and Social Studies, while Mathematics and Kenyan Sign Language remained areas of concern, with fewer learners meeting the expected competency levels.
CS Ogambo added that an analysis of pathway readiness showed 59.09 per cent of the candidates demonstrated potential to pursue the STEM pathway in senior school.
Additionally, he noted that 46.52 per cent were deemed ready for the social science pathway, while 48.73 per cent were prepared for the arts and sports pathway. Placement into senior schools, according to CS Migambo, will be determined by each learner’s performance and their chosen pathway.
Assessment structure
Education CS Julius Ogambo outlined the assessment structure used at Grade 9, which included 20 percent from the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment, 20 percent from school-based assessments in Grades 7 and 8, and 60 percent from the summative KJSEA results.
He explained that schools had earlier been clustered based on the pathways they are mandated to offer, forming the basis of placement choices submitted by learners and parents.
CS Ogambo further explained that Kenya’s 9,540 senior schools currently have a total capacity of 2.2 million learners, far exceeding the number expected to transition in January.
He highlighted that with 929,262 learners set to exit after the 2025 KCSE, senior schools will only retain three classes, creating additional room and eliminating concerns about overcrowding.
Placement to senior school
Education CS Julius Ogambo confirmed that placement of the KJSEA candidates will begin next week and is expected to conclude by December 20, 2025. He added that Grade 10 learners will report to senior school from January 12, 2025.
CS Ogamboemphasised that the government will continue providing capitation at the approved rate of Ksh22,244 per learner annually, and no changes have been made to boarding fees or any other charges payable in public schools.
Education CS Julius Ogambo concluded the briefing by formally announcing the release of the 2025 KJSEA results and extending festive season wishes to all learners and their families.