Rift academic giants, private schools produce top pupils
Teachers and family of Emmaculate Wacheke, 13, from Gilgil Hills Academy, celebrate after she scored 427 in this year’s KCPE making her the top girl countrywide.
What you need to know:
- Nakuru schools produced most of the top candidates in the region, including the joint top girl nationwide.
Academic giants and private schools in the Rift Valley region dominated the list of top performers from the region in the 2023 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examinations results released yesterday.
Nakuru schools produced most of the top candidates in the region, including the joint top female candidate, Immaculate Wacheke of Gilgil Hills Academy. Waceke jointly shared the top girl position with Jacinta Khasungu of St Anne’s Mumias Girls Primary School in Kakamega County.
She was closely followed by Nahasion Mbugua of St Anthony Catholic School, Nakuru, who scored 425 marks.
“I attribute my success to hard work and support from my teachers and parents,” said Waceke, who hopes to join Alliance Girls and study medicine thereafter.
Other top performers in the Rift Valley were Raynaa Chepngetich (424) of Chemitan Academy, Kericho; Trevor Njenga (423) from St Peters Elite, Gilgil, Nakuru; Liz Jepkoech (422) from New Light Schools Ziwa, Uasin Gishu County; and Bruce Charles Mulama with 421 at St Anne’s Kiminini School, Trans Nzoia County.
Eric Kingiri of Moi Primary, Nakuru had 421 marks, while Christine Ayako of Greenvale Academy, Michelle Nanjala of New Light Schools Ziwa, and Kipsaita Sonia Jepkorir of Greenvale Academy in Uasin Gishu County, Willy Namwamba of Hilltop Preparatory School in Trans Nzoia, and Blessing Waceke of Radiance Academy Nakuru all had 420 marks.
Ayako said she wants to become a journalist due to the influence of Nation Media Group newspapers. She said reading newspapers helped her to excel in languages. She hopes to join Moi Girls High School in Eldoret and then study journalism at university to become a voice for the voiceless.
Kingiri was among the few candidates from public schools who made it to the top.
Sylvia Cherop of St Mary’s Assumption, West Pokot County; Hope Cheptoo of Dreams Hill School, Baringo County; Abdikadir Abdilahi of The Canopy School Turkana County; Kennis Kiptoo of Queen of Angels, Uasin Gishu County; and Daniel Kiiru of Roots Academy, Nakuru County all scored 419 marks.
In Baringo, private schools outshined their public counterparts, producing the top candidates in the region. At Mogotio Little Friends Academy, out of 95 candidates, over 32 scored more than 400 marks, with the top scorers, Victor Kimutai Kisoria and Earl Kipyegon Limo attaining 414 marks. The school had a mean score of 393.54, up from 393.01 last year
“We expected them to produce good results in the final examination and we are elated that we have maintained our position as the top institution in Baringo County,” said school director David Kigen.
Dreams Hill School, also in Mogotio, produced the top candidate in the county, Hope Cheptoo, who scored 419 marks. More than 12 out of 26 candidates at the school got more than 400 marks.
In Trans Nzoia County, there was jubilation at Kitale School after 37 Pupils out of 355 candidates posted 400 marks and above. Ikitoo Elisha Jesse Okadapau was the top performer at the school with 415 marks.
Head teacher David Luganda hailed teachers for their commitment and sacrifices they had made to attain the impressive results.
At St Anne’s Kiminini Bruce Charles Mulama scored 421 marks. “We are excited with the results. We are impressed that we have produced one of the top performers countrywide,” Hellen Nanjala Wachana, the school head, said.
In Uasin Gishu County, Hill School in Eldoret was among the public schools that recorded impressive performances. School head Osborn Ngaira said the institution posted the best results this year compared to other years. More than 20 candidates scored above 400 marks.
Some of the top candidates in Uasin Gishu hailed the Nation Media Group’s Newspapers in Education project for contributing to their good performance.
In Bomet, Valerie Chemutai of St Mary’s Boarding and Day Primary School scored 421 to top in the school. She said she is looking forward to joining Kenya High School.
In Nakuru, traditionally top-performing private schools like Kabarak Primary School and Sun and Shield yesterday remained uncharacteristically inaccessible to journalists. The schools are usually the first to share their results.
In West Pokot County, St Mary’s Assumption Primary School and Town View Academy were among the top schools. Ritenyang Subira Ruto of Kapenguria Town View Academy scored 413.
As with most other counties in the region, private schools produced the top candidates in Turkana. The Canopy School Lodwar recorded a mean score of 361.97 compared to last year’s 348. Aside from Abdikadir, the school had three other candidates with over 400 marks.
At Queen of Peace Girls Primary School in Lodwar, Michelle Lemuya Ikeny scored 413.
In Samburu, ACK School in Maralal produced the top candidate for the second year running, beating academic giants in the area. The school’s top candidate was Simon Kinyua Mwangi, who scored 411 marks.
Other schools that did well include Mbukiwa Academy, St Peters Elite School and Radiance Academy.
- Reporting by Francis Mureithi, Joseph Openda, Titus Ominde, Evans Jaola, Florah Koech, Winnie Chepkemoi, Mercy Koskey, Vitalis Kimutai, Stanley Kimuge, Oscar Kakai, Sammy Lutta and Geoffrey Ondieki.
