When the Kenya Certificate of Primary School Education (KCPE) examinations were released in the year 2021, two sets of twins stood out for their exemplary performance.
Will Emmanuel Isanda scored 415 marks while his twin brother Wayne John Isanda got 412 marks.
The two candidates who sat their examinations at Imperial Primary School in Kisii County, defied the odds, from sickness few days to examinations and the interruption from studying during the long break because of the Covid-19 pandemic, to register good performance.
The 14-year-old twins also attributed their results to the push by their father Dr Martin Isanda and their late mother Isabela Kaberia who put them on their toes during the long break necessitated by the pandemic to have them revised throughout.
And many kilometers away, at Mwadi Primary School in Yala, Gem Sub-county, Ouma Dan Wesley scored 407 marks while his brother Ouma Meshack Brown scored 404.
Interestingly, in both cases, only three marks set the identical siblings apart.
And four years later, the twins once again replicated the outstanding performance, emerging among the top candidates nationally having scored a mean Grade of A (plain) in the just released KCSE examination results.
Will and Wayne scored plain As of 82 points while Dan Wesley and Meshack, also managed an A (plain) and an A- respectively.
Just like they had wished, the Isandas were all admitted to Alliance High School while the twins from Gem in Siaya went to Maseno School.
However, both were elated and celebrated since that was a good sign for the identical twins.
“When I got my results back I was excited but at the same time motivated by my brother Wayne assuring him that he would either score the same points or outdo me,” said Will.
Wayne John Isanda (Left) having a conversation with his twin brother Will Emmanuel Isanda moments after they received their KCSE results on January 9th, 2025. The two scored A (plain) of 82 points.
Photo credit: Pool
In a telephone interview, Wayne revealed that he was not tense because as has been the norm, their results would not be any different.
“Once I saw Will’s results, I knew that I had performed well. I was not tensed even a bit because even in the past exams, our marks have always been almost the same and so when I received mine, it was more of an icing on the cake,” said Wayne.
True to his words, Wayne also scored an A (plain).
Asked how they managed to perform well, Wayne stated that it was purely through hard work and that “when you have done things right, there will always be a gut feeling that you will perform well.”
“When you work hard, you can always feel it and that is why it is evident that all the fruits of our efforts have now brought us comfort,” said Wayne.
According to Will, when they were admitted to Alliance High School, there was pressure on them to continue with their brilliant performance, but he stated that they did not let this get to them, they focused on their set goal, which was to achieve even greater results by the end of their Form Four.
Four years ago, Will had hoped to be a neurosurgeon while Wayne wanted to be a Cardiologist.
They have since switched to computer science with both hoping to achieve their best in the university and transform the world through ICT.
“As we kept on moving, things changed, especially around technology globally. That is why we want to obtain these ICT skills to open opportunities to many and create jobs. We want to do something that will make us employers,” said Wayne.
Their mother passed away on September 12, 2021, a dark period for the twins and their family so they had to skip examinations to attend the burial. Instead of dampening their spirits, this only motivated them to work harder.
"Our mother was our motivation all along, she would have been the happiest today. What I am sure about is she is smiling and is proud of us wherever she is," said Will.
They hope to join either Strathmore University or the University of Nairobi or, better yet, a scholarship to study abroad to pursue their dream career course.
Many kilometers away in Gem Siaya, Mr Caleb Ouma, father of Dan Wesley and Meshack Brown was extremely overjoyed upon receiving his sons’ KCSE results.
The two who were not at home when the results were announced, were called by their father who requested for the results.
“We first checked Wesley’s results and found out that he had an A (plain) and we were elated. Then Meshack’s came and we were equally overjoyed and thanked God that they had maintained their hard work, which paid off,” said Mr Ouma.
Ouma Meshack Brown and Ouma Dan Wesley, twin brothers from Got Regea, Gem in Siaya County who scored top grades in KCSE.
Photo credit: Pool
He added: “I am a proud father. This is a double joy for me, the family and the Got Regea community. I pray that my sons achieve their future desires.”
Despite scoring an A plain, he was not satisfied with the points he had achieved saying his father had always expected him to get all the maximum 84 points or at least 83. He managed 81 points.
“It was not easy to achieve these results. I was top in my class in Form 1 and 18th overall. But in Form 3 at some point I was position 136. This shocked me and was my turning point leading me to work and revise harder to achieve this mean grade of A. This taught me never to give up,” said Wesley.
He plans to pursue an engineering course but mostly on tech and computers. He is yet to make up his mind though on exactly what to do.
While Meshack was disappointed that he did not score a Plain A of 81 points which he had targeted, he was happy with the A- (minus) of 76 points.
“I had hoped for higher marks, but I am still happy and grateful. I am happy for my brother because I will still tell people proudly that we have an A (plain) in our family. My other sister scored A – a while back and she is the one who has been encouraging me,” said Meshack.
He however admitted that it was not easy to achieve that grade, saying when he felt like giving up in Form Two, it was his sister who kept encouraging him.
And just like the Isanda brothers, he plans to pursue computer science or any course in that line, just like his sister who is undertaking a course in Information Technology at the Kenyatta University in Nairobi.
He hopes to be enrolled in Kenyatta University or Jomo Kenyatta University of Science and Technology.
