Twins who scored same KCPE marks were always close, mother says

Myron Kipkoech Meli (left) and Malva Chepkorir Meli (right), 14-year-old fraternal twins, scored the same marks in the 2021 KCPE. [Myra Meli, sibling to the twins]

Myron Kipkoech and Malva Chepkorir, both 14 years, are like two peas in a pod with similar cheekbones and just a slight difference in height.

But not even height could keep the fraternal twins from scoring the same marks in their Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) exams.

Kipkoech and Chepkorir, who both scored 392 marks, were candidates at Utawala Academy, a public boarding school in Nairobi’s Utawala area.

“They are good friends, who took good care of each other,” their mother, Chelimo Meli told The Standard on phone.

Below, their respective scores; 

MELI MYRON KIPKOECH INDEX: 20408007217 ENG 79A- KIS 71B+ KSL = = MAT 85A  SCI 75A- SSR 82A  TOTAL 392

MELI MALVA CHEPKORIR INDEX: 20408007216 ENG 79A- KIS 77A- KSL = = MAT 83A  SCI 73B+ SSR 80A  TOTAL 392 

Myron Kipkoech scored 392 marks in the 2021 KCPE. [Myra Meli, sibling]

The two pupils who were in the same classroom all through primary school were always competitive. So in sync they were, that their index numbers followed each other.  

Chepkorir was Index Number 16 while Kipkoech was Index Number 17.

An elated Mrs Meli told us that Kipkoech, however, says he should have scored higher marks than his sister.

“Their marks were always close with a difference of maybe five or 10, though Chepkorir has rarely scored higher marks than her brother,” she said.

Malva Chepkorir scored 392 marks in the 2021 KCPE. [Myra Meli, sibling]

Kipkoech and Chepkorir, the only set of twins in their family, want to join Kapsabet Boys' High School and Moi Girls' High School, Eldoret respectively.

Kipkoech wants to pursue architecture later in university, while his sister aspires to be a pediatrician.

In the 2021 KCPE results released on Monday, March 28, private schools accounted for 12 out of 14 topmost slots.  

At least 11,857 candidates scored 400 marks and above, and some 315,275 pupils scored between 300-399 marks.