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A public school in Meru County, which was once an academic dwarf owing to its poor performance, has continued to remain unbeatable in the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE), recording 19 years of excellence both nationally and in the region.

Kathigiri Mixed Public Boarding school which has been ranked best in the public school category for 18 years, gained its name nationally by producing the top best female candidate Riziki Mpekethu scoring 442 in 2014.

Riziki is now a medical doctor.

Another alumnus of the school is Lenox Kirianki, who scored 446 marks in 2015 and ranked second-best countrywide and the best candidate in the public school category.

In 2017 and 2018, the institution bounced back again after Murega Sharon got 447 becoming the second-best candidate nationally followed by Debra Gakii who scored 442.

The school, that still stands best in 2021 KCPE results nationally in the public school category, has also been leading after being ranked top best from 2005 to 2015. It dropped to the second position in 2016, but bounced back to the first position in 2017, 2019 and 2020.

Kathigiri also produced the best two candidates from the Eastern region in the 2019 KCPE with the best candidate Arnold Mutwiri scoring 433 followed by Vincent Mwirigi with 432 marks.

In Meru County, the school has been leading becoming unbeatable for the past 18 years by producing top pupils only in 2020. Their closest competitor, Fred’s Academy defeated them by producing the best county candidate.

“Kathigiri has been able to beat their closest rival Fred’s Academy for a couple of years. It has remained as the top school even with the emergence of new academies,” Josleen Mugambi, the school headteacher, said.

Mugambi said hard work, early syllabus coverage, discipline and devoted teachers are among the reasons why the school has been shining and emerging as the top public school in KCPE.