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A comprehensive 5,000-word special report on the 2025 KCSE results, analyzing the top students, the resurgence of Mt Kenya schools, and the rise of day schools.
NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 10, 2026 — The air in Eldoret was thin and crisp on Friday morning as Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba stepped up to the podium at AIC Chebisaas High School. But the tension across the country was thick enough to cut with a knife. For 993,226 candidates, their parents, and thousands of teachers, this was the moment of reckoning—the release of the 2025 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) results.
What followed was not just a list of names and grades, but the unveiling of a historic academic phenomenon. The Class of 2025, often dubbed the "Transition Generation" as they sit on the cusp of the full Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) rollout, delivered a performance that defied expectations, shattered records, and rewrote the map of Kenya’s intellectual elite.
With 1,932 candidates scoring straight As (a significant leap from 1,693 in 2024) and a record-breaking 270,715 students securing direct university entry (C+ and above), this cohort has proven to be one of the most resilient in history. They battled the post-COVID syllabus crunch, navigated the stormy waters of the new university funding model, and emerged with the "Golden Grade."
But numbers only tell half the story. Behind every 'A' is a human saga of sleepless nights, sacrificed holidays, and unyielding discipline. From the red earth of Murang’a to the humid coast of Mombasa, from the cool hills of Iten to the dusty plains of Kitui, these are the faces, the schools, and the stories defining Kenya’s 2025 academic triumph.
In the rarefied air of the "A-Plain," there exists an even more exclusive tier: the students who scored a perfect 84 points. To achieve this, a candidate must score a straight A in all seven graded subjects. It is academic perfection. In 2025, a diverse group of students from across the republic joined this club.
If there is a face to the "Bush" resurgence, it is Jesse Peter. Alliance High School, the sleeping giant that has roared back to second place nationally with a mean score of 10.47, produced the country's arguably most celebrated student this year. Jesse’s 84 points were not a fluke; they were the product of a monastic dedication to the sciences. Teachers describe him as a "quiet genius" who spent his weekends in the physics lab. His performance anchored Alliance’s return to glory, proving that the old lion still has the sharpest teeth in the jungle.
From the shores of Lake Victoria comes a story of pure brilliance. Odhiambo Raydexter Amayo placed Mbita High firmly on the national map with his 84 points. In a region where fishing often competes with schooling for the attention of young boys, Raydexter’s focus was unwavering. His result is a massive boost for Homa Bay County, which has been aggressively investing in education infrastructure under Governor Gladys Wanga. Raydexter plans to pursue Medicine, hoping to fix the very healthcare system that has often failed his community.
Embu County pulled off a stunning double. Wawira Derick Munene of Kangaru School and June Mwende of Kangaru Girls both scored perfect 84s. This synchronized success of the "brother and sister" schools (they share a heritage, though different campuses) has sent the county into a frenzy. Derick is described as a mathematician who sees the world in numbers, while June is a debater and a linguist who conquered the sciences. Their dual victory signals that Embu is no longer just an agricultural hub but an intellectual powerhouse capable of taking on the giants of Kiambu and Nairobi.
In the "Home of Champions," they usually run for gold medals. Denis Koech Kirwa ran for an A. St. Patrick’s Iten, famous for producing world-class athletes like David Rudisha, has proved it can also produce world-class scholars. Scoring 84 points in a county often plagued by banditry in the Kerio Valley is a statement of defiance. Denis’s success is a beacon of hope for Elgeyo Marakwet, proving that the gunshots in the valley cannot silence the scratching of pens in the exam room.
The Coast region has often been stereotyped as lagging in national exams. Yvonne Mona Mruu has shattered that myth into a million pieces. As the top girl in Mombasa County with 84 points, she led Mama Ngina Girls to a stellar performance. Her achievement is particularly sweet for the Coast, which saw a massive renaissance this year. Yvonne’s dream is Aeronautical Engineering, a fitting ambition for a girl who has already touched the sky.
The "Sons of Cromwell" have a new hero. Abdallah Mo carried the flag for Meru School with a clean 84 points. His performance helped propel the school to a mean score of 9.97, ranking it among the top 10 nationally. Abdallah’s success in a highly competitive environment—Meru School had 52 straight As last year—shows that the institution’s culture of excellence is now systemic.
If consistency is the mark of greatness, Ashley Kerubo Momanyi is the G.O.A.T. (Greatest of All Time) of her generation. Four years ago, Ashley made headlines by topping the 2021 KCPE exams with straight As. The pressure to replicate that success in high school crushes many "child prodigies." Not Ashley.
At Kenya High School, she did it again. Scoring a straight A in the 2025 KCSE, she has cemented her legacy as a double national champion. Speaking from her home in Kisumu, Ashley was the picture of humble confidence. "I am fascinated by how different systems work together," she told reporters, revealing her plan to study Mechatronics Engineering. Her mother, Rose Abwunza, put it best: "It's her time."
The battle for the top spot was a contest of inches, pitting a private giant against a public legend.
For the second consecutive year, Moi High School-Kabarak has claimed the title of Kenya’s academic heavyweight. The Nakuru-based private institution posted a stratospheric mean score of 10.599, edging out its closest rival by a razor-thin margin of 0.12 points.
If Kabarak is the King, Alliance High School is the Emperor. The "Bush" roared back to the second position with a mean score of 10.47. After a slight dip in the early 2020s, Alliance has reclaimed its glory. The school produced 78 As. As a national school reliant on government capitation and alumni support, Alliance’s performance is a validation of the public education system.
The 2025 results have been dubbed the "Murima Tsunami." Schools from the Mt. Kenya region, which had seemingly taken a backseat in recent years, stormed the top 10 rankings.
In a year of statistics, one human story captured the nation’s imagination: the Kerina Twins. Fraternal sisters Maureen Kerina (Alliance Girls) and Michelle Kerina (Loreto Limuru) achieved the impossible. Maureen scored 84 points, while Michelle scored 83 points.
The sisters revealed a "pact" made in Form One to meet at the top. Despite being miles apart, they synchronized their study schedules—waking up at 4 AM together via scheduled calls to revise. Their success challenges the "nature vs nurture" debate, suggesting that a competitive peer system (even a remote one) is a powerful motivator.
Perhaps the most heartening story of 2025 is the rise of the Sub-County (Day) Schools. Often dismissed as "village polytechnics" by elites, these institutions produced 72,000 university qualifiers, a massive leap from previous years.
Nyangwa Boys (Embu): In the semi-arid Mbeere South, Nyangwa Boys posted a mean score that rivals national schools. With three straight As and dozens of university entries, the school has proven that brilliance is not a monopoly of the boarding system.
Gitimbe Secondary (Meru): This small mixed day school produced Eddy Mutembei, a scholarship student who scored a straight A. Eddy’s story—studying by paraffin lamp and relying on the Bob Mwiti Foundation for fees—has become the face of the "Hustler Education" narrative.
The 2025 KCSE cohort is the third-last group under the 8-4-4 system. As the country prepares to fully transition to CBC in 2027, these results serve as a closing argument for a system that has defined Kenya for four decades. It was a system of immense pressure, but as the Class of 2025 has shown, it was also a system that forged diamonds.
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