Mt Kenya's academic giants rise again as top schools post stellar KCSE results

 Loreto Limuru's Lucy Njoki, who when joining form 1 said that she would want to become a lawyer and added that her mentor is chief justice Martha Koome. She scored a B+. [George Njunge, Standard]

The Mt Kenya region has once again reaffirmed its place at the heart of Kenya’s academic excellence after leading secondary schools posted outstanding results in the 2025 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations.

Murang'a, Nanyuki High School, Bishop Gatimu Ngandu Girls, and Kagumo High School were among the top performers, underscoring a sustained culture of discipline, strong leadership, and community support for education.

Murang’a High School topped in the region after it posted a mean of 10.163 up from the previous year of 9.7.

In the analysis, the candidates scored the following grades A 88,A 155, B+133,B 85, B-33 C+18. The school had a target of 10.3.

At Nanyuki High School, the national school shattered its previous performance ceiling, posting a mean score of 9.683. Of the 477 candidates who sat the examination, 448 attained C+ and above, with 55 students scoring plain A grades.

Principal Solomon Koech attributed the stellar performance to collective effort and a stable learning environment. He credited teachers, parents and students for their discipline and hard work, noting that support from the political leadership had been non-intrusive, allowing academic programmes to proceed without disruption.

“This performance is a result of sheer hard work and teamwork from our teachers, students and parents. Although our highest number of plain As remains 15 recorded in 2023, the boys have continued to excel despite infrastructural limitations, including having only two science laboratories to serve a large student population,” he said

Bishop Gatimu Ngandu Girls High School in Nyeri County also recorded strong gains, presenting 424 candidates and posting a mean score of 9.179—an improvement index of +0.1442. The school registered 11 plain As, one candidate scoring 84 points, and 17 A- grades, alongside strong numbers in the B range. Significantly, 97.17 per cent of the candidates—412 girls—secured university entry grades, sparking celebrations within the school.

The school’s principal, Jane Njuguna, lauded the support of the school management, the Parents Association, and parents, saying the results reflected sustained investment in academic mentorship, learner discipline, and emotional support for the girls.

“This success reflects the collective commitment of our management, the Parents Association and our parents, who stood firmly with the school throughout the journey. Our girls remained focused and disciplined, and the improved results affirm that when learners are supported academically, emotionally, and morally, they can achieve excellence,” she said.

Kagumo High School continued its upward trajectory by posting a mean score of 9.99, missing an A plain by a narrow margin of 0.01. The school recorded 75 As, 149 A-, 111 B+, 81 B, 63 B-, and 22 C+ and C- (R2) grades, marking a significant improvement compared to previous years.

Principal Dr Silas Mwirigi attributed the success to committed teachers, focused students, and a supportive board, adding that the school’s mission remains excellence. He said Kagumo is now targeting a mean score of 10.5 in the next KCSE cycle.

“We are delighted with these results, which show clear improvement compared to previous years. With 75 plain As, we posted a mean score of 9.99—just 0.01 shy of an A plain. We give all the glory to God, and we applaud our committed teachers, focused students, supportive board members and the current students for making this possible. At Kagumo, success is our mission, and we are already aiming for a mean score of 10.5 in the next KCSE,” he said.

One of the standout performers at Kagumo High School was Muriuki Ryan Gachihi, who scored an impressive 83 points. He revealed his ambition to join Kenyatta University, where he hopes to pursue either computer science or software development.

“Ever since I was young, I have dreamed of becoming a software developer. I am grateful for the unwavering support from my teachers, parents and fellow students, who have guided and encouraged me every step of the way,” said Muriuki Ryan Gachihi, a top performer at Kagumo High School.

St Gregory Karima Mixed Day Secondary School in Othaya, Nyeri, also recorded improved KCSE 2025 results, signaling a positive shift in performance.

The school posted a mean grade of 3.348, up from 2.657 in 2024, reflecting steady academic progress. Among the top performers, Araba Hanifa Fareed scored a B plain with 61 points, while Kelvin Karienye attained a C+ with 46 points.

Principal Eliud Ngotho attributed the improvement to the dedication of teachers, the commitment of students, and the support of parents, saying the school is focused on building a strong foundation that will see more learners achieve higher grades in future examinations.

Similarly, the Meru School, one of the traditionally top in national examinations, once again did impressively in last year's Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations.

Principal Mwenda Rutere yesterday led the teaching, non-teaching staff, and students in celebrating yet another good showing after all but eight of the 545 candidates made the university entry grade.

A total of 69 of the learners attained A plain and 136 also impressed with A minus.

Another 153 managed a B plus, 157 got B plain as 49 achieved a B minus.

Thirteen candidates in the all-boys institution located at Kaaga along the Meru-Maua road attained C plus, six had C plain, and two got C minus.

"Out of this 545, only eight will not go to university but will definitely be able to join (other) tertiary colleges," Mr Rutere said.

At Chogoria Boys in neighbouring Tharaka Nithi county, Principal Nyaga Kinyua and the staff were a happy lot, after the school posted a mean of 7.645 or B minus.

Still in Tharaka Nithi, Telvin Mawira of Chuka Boys led the pack with an A, as the school located near Chuka town posted impressive results.

Kiurani Boys in Maara sub-county posted a mean of 7.8 (B minus),  with at least one candidate managing an A plain and at least six got A minus.

Two of its candidates did well in getting A plain, and over 80 per cent got university entry grades.

At CDM Beatitude Girls High School Julie Gloria Angel posted B+ of 71 points.

At Pioneer Boys School, Maragua, Murang’a,  Macharia Freddie Ngare  scored an A of 84 points, followed by George Ngala A- of 79 points, Wambui John Karanja A- 79 points, Muita Quincy Mwangi  A- 77 points, and Aaron Ngata A- 78 points.

Report by Amos Kiarie, Phares Mutembei, Boniface Gikandi and Jane Mugambi