REVEALED: Worst subjects among KCSE top performers

Details have emerged placing Mathematics, Chemistry and English as the worst-performing subjects among the top KCSE performers in 2025.

Fresh analysis presented by the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) shows that only 19 per cent of candidates attained a grade of C+ and above in Mathematics in the 2025 KCSE examination.

Only Chemistry performed worse, with 13 per cent of candidates attaining C+ and above, making the two subjects the weakest among Kenya's major high-enrolment subjects.

English followed at 22 per cent, Physics at 26 per cent, Biology at 29 per cent, Agriculture at 31 per cent, while Kiswahili recorded the strongest performance among the group at 34 per cent.

While Mathematics forms the backbone of learning across the education system, it has, over the years, remained problematic, with the initial proposal to make it an optional subject under the Competency Based Education.

In 2025, the Ministry of Education abandoned plans to make the subject optional in senior secondary after widespread opposition from teachers, universities, employers and the public.

Instead, the government retained Mathematics as a compulsory learning area, splitting it into Core Mathematics and Applied Mathematics depending on learners' career pathways.

This will see students who choose to pursue Applied Mathematics take a simplified version of the subject tailored to practical applications within their chosen career pathways,

On the other hand, those taking Core Mathematics will study more advanced concepts required for science, engineering and mathematics-related fields.

However, experts argue that mastery in Mathematics helps develop logical reasoning, problem-solving and analytical thinking that learners apply not only in science subjects but also in economics, business, geography, technology and even everyday financial decision-making.

Similarly, English also emerged as the third worst-performing subject, with only 22 per cent of candidates attaining a C+ and above.

The performance raises fresh concerns over learners' proficiency in a language that serves as the primary medium of instruction from upper primary through university and is central to learning across nearly all subjects.

The results also come against the backdrop of a growing literacy crisis in Kenya and across Africa.

Recent assessments have repeatedly shown that a significant proportion of learners are unable to read and comprehend texts at the expected level for their age, despite spending years in school.

A study by the Gates Foundation shows that 9 out of 10 children in sub-Saharan Africa do not achieve minimum literacy proficiency by the end of primary school. That is the ability to read at least 50 words per minute.

Similarly, 8 out of 10 children are unable to meet minimum proficiency in numeracy by the end of primary school.

Another study conducted locally by Zizi Afrique Foundation reveal a foundational literacy crisis in Kenya, with six out of ten Grade 4 learners unable to comprehend a Grade 3-level English story.

The research indicates significant socioeconomic and regional disparities, with rural and remote areas experiencing the lowest proficiency levels, and shows that rising enrollment rates have not improved learning outcomes due to conventional teaching methods.

The revelations come amid the continental gathering focused on foundational learning is the Africa Foundational Learning Exchange (FLEX) co-organized by the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) and Human Capital Africa (HCA, that tool place on July 15–17, 2026 in Malawi.

Dr Ben Piper, Director, Global Education, Gates Foundation, explains that equipping every child with reading and math skills by age 10 can unlock the continent’s full potential.

“Strong foundational learning fuels innovation, jobs, and sustained economic growth. If every child mastered these skills, global GDP could rise by trillions of dollars by 2030,” Dr. Piper said in a presentation.