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After scoring 394 marks in Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) exams, Anthony Njuguna Muhuro began a journey of achieving his dream of becoming a doctor. But it was not a bed of roses.

 Muhuro was admitted to St Patrick’s Iten — a national boarding school — but he transferred to Kiamaina Secondary School in Bahati, Nakuru County, due to cash woes.

Muhuro,19, recalls:  “My parents toiled hard for school fees and other basic needs. I was forced to quit St Patrick’s after a year”.

In his four years at Kiamaina, Muhuro focused on posting good results and changing the lives of his parents and siblings.

While studying late in the night and early morning, he would dream of being mentioned among the top students in Kenya despite being in a sub-county school. “I would dream of the Cabinet Secretary (CS) mentioning my name; but I never thought it would come true, but it has,” he said.

Muhuro was the best-performing student in sub-county schools from Rift Valley in the just-released KCSE results, with a mean grade A of 84.63 marks. “When Education CS George Magoha announced the results I was not at home. People came shouting my name, and I had to playback the video several times to be sure,” said Muhuro.

His father, Francis Kamau, said he had expected great results, noting that his son worked very hard at school. Eunice Wambui, Muhuro’s mother, said the son had a very tight schedule and used to wake up at 3am and sleep late in the night to study. 

School principal John Maruge said the results are a clear indication that students in sub-county schools can post good results.