How we did it: 2025 KCSE stars speak of success, future dreams

That group includes Bruce Mackenzie Magata and Ashley Kerubo Momanyi, who scored 428 and 427 marks respectively out of a possible 500 in KCPE. Both later earned straight As in KCSE—Bruce at Alliance High School and Ashley at Kenya High School—cementing their place among the country’s top performers.

Early mornings and late nights defined the routines of many of the 2025 crème de la crème. Emmanuel Mwachofi, from Taita Taveta County, who studied at Maranda High School, scored a mean grade of A, having posted 410 marks in KCPE to emerge the top candidate in Wundanyi sub-county.

“To remain at the top requires consistency. I wanted to prove to myself that if I could do it in KCPE, I could do it again in KCSE,” Emmanuel said, crediting Maranda’s academic environment and motivational talks by professionals, including dentists, lawyers and engineers.

He described the school’s discipline as rigorous, noting that their day often began at 4am and stretched to 11pm. “A school can make a student,” he said, adding that mentality and environment were just as important as raw ability.

Read: KCPE 2021 top girl, boy shine again in KCSE 2025

“I have friends who did not perform well in KCPE but excelled in KCSE. It depends on the student and the environment,” Emmanuel said. He credited Principal Dr Edwin Namachanja as a key mentor and cited Engineer Clifford Nyamache of the Institution of Engineers of Kenya (IEK) as his role model.

“My mother has been my pillar of strength. She taught me to put God first and to believe in myself even when I felt like I was failing,” he added. Emmanuel hopes to pursue mechatronics engineering at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology.

His mother, Fauster Makalanga, who is unemployed and battling health challenges, said she was immensely proud of her lastborn son. “He is humble, caring and disciplined. Even in primary school, his friends told me how he would help them by sharing his knowledge,” she said, noting that his education was sponsored by the IEK.

Another high achiever was Said Omar of Qubaa Muslim School in Mombasa, who scored a mean grade of A. He said he aspires to become a neurosurgeon and hopes to study at the University of Nairobi or abroad.

Said admitted he did not expect such a strong performance, citing physics as particularly challenging. He identified his long daily commute from Kisauni to the school in town as the greatest hurdle he faced.

“The pain of waking up early and going to study when everyone else was asleep has finally yielded good fruits,” said Said, who scored 398 marks in KCPE.

Asya Ahmad Aboud of Abu Hureria Academy in Mombasa scored an A- after four years of early mornings and late evenings, often waking up at 5am to arrive at school by 6.15am and returning home as late as 8pm.

“It has been a struggle, but the effort has finally paid off. I have not let down my parents, who had high hopes for me,” she said. Asya hopes to pursue medicine at the University of Nairobi and credits her success to the unwavering support of her parents, teachers and sister.

Denis Karuri Kairu, who scored a mean grade of A at Anestar Boys High School in Lanet, Nakuru County, said he often slept at 1am and woke up at 3am to revise.

“One strategy I used was teaching my colleagues the concepts I had learnt, which helped me understand them better,” he said, adding that he sometimes wrote notes throughout the night. Denis hopes to pursue medicine abroad and is exploring scholarship opportunities.

At Kirindine Day Secondary School in Meru County, Derrick Muthomi earned an A- after scoring 296 marks in KCPE. He attributed his improvement to close collaboration with teachers and fellow students, alongside revision during odd hours.

Read: ‘I went to Alliance’: Equity and politics of Kenya’s national schools

Abdurrahman Mohamed Allausy of Memon High School in Mombasa also scored a mean grade of A. He described the examinations as fair but challenging and credited his success to discipline, prayer, teamwork and thorough preparation by teachers. He said he was still weighing career options in aviation, shipping and engineering.

Yvonne Mona of Mama Ngina Girls High School in Mombasa, who scored an A after posting 396 marks in KCPE, said the KCSE results were her proudest academic achievement. She hopes to pursue medicine at the University of Nairobi.

Keith Kahiha Kibira of Nakuru High School also scored an A, describing fatigue from early mornings and late-night revision as his biggest challenge. “Discipline, consistency and support from teachers helped me push through,” he said. He plans to study medicine at the University of Nairobi.

Read: Class of 2025 beats the odds to shine in KCSE exams

Doxton Wesonga Ouma, who scored an A of 84 points at Maranda High School, said his success was the result of hard work, regular consultations with teachers and trusting the process. He hopes to pursue medicine at the University of Nairobi, with a special interest in cancer treatment.

Four years ago, Doxton scored 417 marks in KCPE, ranking among the top candidates in Kisumu County and nationally. He credited Maranda’s teachers and initiatives such as Club 84, whose members shared revision materials and held discussions both physically and virtually, including during school holidays.

In Nyamira County’s Kitutu Masaba Constituency, Barrack Ondicho and his family were over the moon after the Kapsabet Boys alumnus scored an A. Barrack hopes to pursue medicine, engineering, law or computer science abroad.

“It takes hard work, prayer, discipline and humility,” he said.

Follow our WhatsApp channel for breaking news updates and more stories like this.

Reporting by Winnie Atieno, Brian Ocharo, Mercy Koskei, Joseph Openda, Angeline Ochieng, Ruth Mbula and David Muchui