Several former academic stars struggling to make comeback

The academic powerhouses that ruled the country in their heydays have slipped off the stardom radar.

Some of the institutions that enjoyed the limelight when grading of top schools was still in effect are struggling to regain their footing after several years in the shadows.

New entrants and little-known schools have eclipsed the once-academic giants.

This is happening as stakeholders and former students blame the decline in performance on bad management, interference by locals and low entry marks for Form Ones. 

In the KCSE results that were released on Monday, the trend of gloom continued for a majority of the former academic powerhouses.

In Nyanza, Kisumu Girls’, Kisumu Boys’, Lwak Girls’, Sawagongo, St Mary’s Yala, and Ng’iya are a shadow of their former self after their results in last year’s KCSE failed to spark celebrations.

As little-known schools burst into celebrations on Tuesday, there was silence at the former academic powerhouses after they failed to post improved results.

In some schools, the administration locked out journalists from accessing their overall results.

St Mary’s Yala, a former educational powerhouse, is among those that failed to spark again after scoring a mean of 7.2. The school dominated the region in 1990s and 2000s.

Deputy Principal Julius Okoth claimed they are learning from their mistakes and will improve.

“Even though it is below our targeted mean, they are authentic results and we own them. We believe that we will learn from a few mistakes and rectify and get better results than this,” said Okoth.

Ng’iya, a national school, and a former academic powerhouse, also posted a mean of 6.9.

In Kisumu, traditional rivals Kisumu Boys’ and Kisumu Girls’ remained silent after they failed to post improved performance.

In the past, the schools were among the top performers and always brought Kisumu’s Central Business District to a standstill as they celebrated impressive results.

Yesterday, however, there were only celebrations at Kisumu Day that attained a mean of 10.07, up from 7.76 in 2022.

Dan Mwaturo, the school’s principal, said their efforts to good performance was not a walk in the park.

Kisumu Boys’ got a mean of 7.2.

Other former top performers that failed to register an improved mean score included Ramba Boys’ (7.0), Sawagongo (7.6) and Ambira Boys’ (7.31).

Students and teachers at Taranganya High School in Migori, another traditional top performer that has struggled to replicate its past performance, were left in shock after their results were withheld.

In Rift Valley, stakeholders blamed intake of low performers during Form One admission, poor administration, interference by locals and politicians, and frequent changes in administration among other challenges for the failure of former giants to regain their lost glory.

Pioneer schools in Nandi that used to dominate in the past include Lelmokwo, Kilibwoni, Kabiyet, Terige, among others.

Arnesens, Kapngetuny, Tambach, Sing’ore Girls’ were the former champions in Uasin Gishu and Elgeyo Marakwet counties.

Until the 1990s, Lelmokwo Boys’ was in tough competition, both in class and in sports, with Kapsabet Boys’, St Patrick’s Iten. Tambach has too been eclipsed.

In the results of 2017, Sing’ore Girls’ pulled a shocker, defeating the country’s traditional academic powerhouses, including Alliance High School, Alliance Girls’ High School, Mang’u High School and Starehe Boys’ Centre. It had a mean score of 9.69 and sent all its 271 candidates to university.

In the 2023 results, Sing’ore Girls’ managed a mean score of 6.09.

In the recently released results, Lelmokwo managed a mean score of 5.61, Arnesens 4.41, Terige 5.99 and Tambach 5.77.

According to a teacher’s union official who did not wish to be named, some of the former top schools have historical challenges.

“Mismanagement, squabbles, and political interference are to blame for stagnating performance in some schools,” said the official.

Nakuru Boys’ High School, a national school, was among former giants that recorded a grade mean grade of 8.45 in last year’s exam,  down from 10.42 in 2022.

Nakuru Girls’, also a national school, had a mean score of 8.5, down from 9.52 in 2022 results.

Moi Forces Academy-Lanet, also ranked among the top schools in Kenya, only recorded a mean of 7.4, down from 8.4 in 2022.

Naivasha Girls’, famously known for its success, got a mean of 7.0, down from 7.82 in 2022.

In Baringo, extra-county schools Kabarnet High School, Tenges Boys’, Kituro High School, and Pemwai Girls’ lost their glory.

Kabarnet Boys’ had a mean of 6.5, down from 7.9 in 2022. The school management remained quiet on the results.

In the past, Kapropita Girls’ used to compete with Baringo High School. However, the school’s mean grade dropped from 7.3 in 2022 to 7.1.

In Western, Chebuyusi Boys’ High School is struggling to regain its glory.

In the just-released exams, the school posted a mean score of 4.78 (D+), down from 7.01 (C+) in the previous year.

“We will have a staff meeting and iron out the issue of the abnormal drop and make appropriate plans to return our great school to its former glory,” said the school head Otieno Osore.

Another giant, Kakamega High School, slightly dropped from a mean score of 8.23.

The national school was beaten by extra-county schools like Moi Girls’ Nangili (8.63), St Peter’s Mumias (8.58), St Peter’s Seminary (8.23), St Mary’s Mumias (7.87) among others.

David Sikulu, the school’s deputy in charge of academics, said the results were “more or less like the previous years”.

Musingu, another former giant, scored a mean of 6.58. The school, which in its heydays used to beat the likes of Maseno, Kakamega High and Butere, was beaten by Mukumu Girls’ (7.5), Samitsi Girls’ (7.37), Savilie Secondary (7.06), Mukumu Boys’ (6.9), among others.

Musingu alumni members said they would hold a meeting to craft a strategy on how to improve the school’s performance.

In Coast, teachers and representatives of parents of Dr Aggrey School have for the last two days held close-door meetings following a drastic drop in the 2023 KCSE results.

Dr Aggrey topped at the Coast in the 2022 KCSE, posting a mean grade of 8.9 to beat all the 12 national and private schools in the region.

Shimo La Tewa High School in Mombasa is seeking to reclaim its past glory. The school, which used to be a favourite choice from 1960s to 1980s, had more candidates qualifying to join universities, according to the KCSE results released this week.

In Nyeri County, several schools such as Nyeri High School, St Mary’s Boys (Nyeri) Bishop Gatimu Ngandu Girls’ High School, Kanjuri Boys’ High School, Karima Boys’ High School, Chinga Boys’ High School, Tumutumu Girls’ High School and Mahiga Girls’ High School kept a low profile. 

[Reports by Olivia Odhiambo, Anne Atieno, Sharon Owino, Titus Too, Robert Amalemba, Renson Mnyamwezi, Patrick Beja, Daniel Chege and Yvonne Chepkwony]