Interviews with some of the top achievers in the 2024 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination have revealed their dreams for the future and the odds they overcame to manage their high scores.
A good portion of the performers are aspiring to go into medicine, with the University of Nairobi (UoN) being the top choice. Few others are eyeing prestigious universities overseas. Besides medicine, engineering and computer science are some of the main targets for the top performers.
Castro Williams (84 points, A)
Castro Williams, grade A student with 84 points from Kapsabet High School, during an interview with Nation on January 10, 2025. He says he is hoping to join his dream institution, Harvard University.
Photo credit: Alex Odhiambo | Nation Media Group
Sitting at the very top of the 2024 KCSE performance charts, Castro says the strict system at Kapsabet Boys High School played a big role in his performance. He had scored 431 marks out of the possible 500 in the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examination, emerging fourth nationally.
His KCPE score came with some pressure, especially whenever he posted results that seemed to be below his Standard Eight score. Realising the burden he had, his parents would call him regularly to encourage him.
“My class teacher also realised the pressure on me and would invite me for talks,” said Castro.
Castro, who hails from Kisumu County, wishes to pursue a computer science course at Harvard University in the US. This, he says, is a dream he has had since he was in primary school.
Hamid Ali Mohamed of Light Academy School in Mombasa. He scored A Plain of 84 Points.
Photo credit: Kevin Odit | Nation Media Group
Hamid was the top candidate at Light Academy in Mombasa County. He would like to pursue engineering.
“I want to study engineering abroad. I really worked hard and it has paid off. Kiswahili was the most difficult subject,” said Hamid,18.
Maina Jeremy Nathaniel (84 points, A)
Maina Jeremy Nathaniel.
Photo credit: Pool
The Sunshine Secondary School Alumnus realizes earlier on in his secondary life the “importance of setting goals and consistently working towards achieving them,” he explained.
Then he also learnt the art of balancing studies, leadership roles having been a prefect and the co-curricular activities.
“I now want to pursue a career in aviation and would like to pursue it at the University of Manchester,” he said.
Hellen Ndanu (83 points, A)
Kwale County top student Ndanu Hellen who scored A plain of 83 points from Matuga Girls High School.
Photo credit: Cece Siago | Nation Media Group
She was the best student at Matuga Girls High School and might well be the best girl in Kwale County. This was no mean feat as her mother, who is raising her single-handedly, has been sickly. That is why Hellen wants to become a doctor.
“I want to study medicine and help my mother who has been sick for so many years. As a result of the illness, she was unable to pay my school fees,” she said.
Mokua Amos Mwai (83 points, A)
Mokua Amos Mwai.
Photo credit: Ruth Mbula | Nation Media Group
The Kisii School alumnus was guided by his institution’s motto: “Strive for Excellence”. This, accompanied by hard work and faith in God, brought him success.
Patrick Thuku (83 points, A)
“I was lagging behind in my studies, so I had to rethink my approach. I developed a study plan and stuck to it,” he said.
Aggrey Saiti Orina (82 points, A)
Aggrey Saiti Orina of Kisii High School.
Photo credit: Ruth Mbula | Nation Media Group
He says he was motivated to excel by his teachers, parents, and classmates.
“They always pushed me to greater heights. I created more time to read and do revision and I am elated that my hard work has paid off,” he said.
David Mburu (82 points, A)
An ardent basketball player, David was one of the students at Merishaw School, which sits at the very top nationally in the ranking of schools in the 2024 KCSE examination results .
“Hard work and discipline pays and I want to thank God, my family, school management and the church leadership for the support they accorded me during my school time,” said David.
Michele Nyaribari (82 points, A)
With her straight A, the alumna of Moi High School, Kabarak wants to pursue medicine at UoN. She said the secrets to her success included waking up early to study every morning.
Alan Kipkoech (81 points, A)
Alan was among the top students at Chebisas Boys High School in Uasin Gishu County. He aspires to join UoN to pursue a degree in medicine, specialising in obstetrics and gynaecology.
Enrique Enock (81 points, A)
Enrique emerged the second best in his alma mater, Kisumu Boys High School. He is hoping to join UoN to pursue a degree in medicine so that he can give back to society by offering medical services, especially to women.
He scored 367 marks in KCPE and was a day scholar at Kisumu Boys because his mother could not afford to secure him admission at St Ignatius Mukumu Boys High School.
Kathleen Chepkorir Bett (81 points, A)
Kathleen, who was the top student at St Clare Girls Secondary School in Elburgon, Nakuru County, wants to pursue medicine at UoN.
“Since I was a little girl, I have always wanted to become a doctor and help the sick — particularly children, the elderly and people with various forms of disabilities,” said Kathleen.
She says she was shocked that she emerged the top student in the school as the competition was very stiff. “I worked hard and smart,” said Kathleen.
Laura Tinna Ayuma (81 points, A)
With her grade, she wants to become a neurosurgeon, eyeing a degree in medicine at UoN and later a master’s degree in neurosurgery at Harvard.
“It has always been my childhood dream to become a doctor and getting an A has opened an opportunity for me,” said Laura. “My aim is to train and become the next generation of neurosurgical leaders.”
“I thank my teachers and my fellow students for pushing me hard to attain the good results. At Langalanga Secondary, we work as a family. Some of the subjects I did so well in were as a result of teamwork with my classmates. This A is also for them,” added Laura, who also attributed her success to prayers.
Machoka Benjamin Makini (81 points, A)
A Kisii High alumnus, he says he would wake up early to study.
“Sometimes, I would also spend long hours in the night trying to chase academic excellence,” he said when asked to share the secret behind his success.
His aspiration is to become an engineer “who would come up with innovations that will help solve some of the challenges that are affecting our country”.
Michael Ochieng (81 points, A)
Michael was the best performing student at Oriwo Boys High School in Homa Bay County. This was the first time in 11 years that a candidate was scoring a straight A.
He admits that his performance in his initial years in secondary school was below his level. This was until Form Three when he shifted gears.
“My teachers saw the potential in me and resolved to support me,” he says.
He would like to become a surgeon. His favourite subject was chemistry, and he hopes to apply it in the medical field.
“I want to join Kenyatta University. I will use the skills I acquire to help our people,” he says.
Thon Aguek (81 points, A)
Thon, a 17-year-old refugee at the Kakuma Refugee Camp, sat KCSE at Paul Boit Boys High School in Uasin Gishu County.
He has faced many challenges, including forcible separation from his father due to war in South Sudan as he fled for safety in Kenya with his mother.
The third born in a family of three scored 396 marks in KCPE and was sponsored by a non-governmental organisation in secondary school.
“My early education life was full of challenges, bearing in mind I was a refugee, I was not able to express myself due to the language barrier. But God is an equaliser,” he said.
Thon wants to study computer science in university. He hailed the Kenyan education system for being “the best equaliser”.
Peter Ngechu (79 points, A-)
He was one of the top candidates at Chebisaas Boys High School. He hopes to join Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology to study medicine.
Bainito Wanyonyi (78 points, A-)
Bainito Wanyonyi
Photo credit: Evans Jaola | Nation Media Group
Despite having scored just 274 marks in KCPE, Bainito managed an impressive grade in KCSE at Michael Wamalwa Birunda High School — a local day school — in Trans Nzoia County.
The 18-year-old comes from a poor background in Birunda, Saboti Constituency. One of his greatest comebacks was Kiswahili. He scored a paltry 33 marks out of 100 in KCPE but got a B+ in KCSE.
Catherine Nekesa Wanyonyi (77 points, A-)
She was among the top performers at St Anne’s Girls High School in Kiminini, Trans Nzoia County. She credits her success to teachers who were a great pillar throughout her academic journey.
“I was close to my teachers who helped me develop a positive mind towards education,” said Catherine.
Joylene Jepchirchir (75 points A minus)
She sat her Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education exams at Our Lady of Victory, Kapnyeberai in Nandi County.
The soft-spoken student, along with her family, friends, and teachers, viewed her performance as a dream-come-true, thanks to the hard work and dedication she had put into her studies.
“It’s all the result of determination, discipline, and the support from my teachers,” she says, adding: “I kept my focus on the ultimate goal. I aspire to pursue a degree in medicine.”
Ms Jepchirchir, who scored 375 out of a possible 500 marks in the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) exams at Segemik Primary School, is now setting her sights on further academic achievements. She plans to pursue a degree in medicine.
James Thung’u (75 points, A-)
The Mang’u High School alumnus would like to study medicine. He says that history and languages gave him the hardest time in secondary school, but he was able to find a way out.
“I stayed on track by sticking to a strict study schedule. My teachers were a huge support. They helped me with extra lessons and kept me motivated,” he said. “I always prayed before I started studying because it gave me peace and strength to keep going.”
Lindah Jerop (74 points, A-)
Lindah, who was a candidate at the Moi Educational Centre in Nairobi, said she posted good results due to the support she received from her teachers and parents.
“I want to pursue engineering so that I can contribute to the technological development in the country,” she said.
Growing up at Kakuma Refugee Camp, with its perennial challenges of overcrowding and limited opportunities, didn’t stop Gathoth from excelling in KCSE. Lok said that hard work, dedication, and discipline propelled him to success after getting an A- at AIC Song’ot Boys Secondary School in Turkana West Constituency. “I have a dream of becoming a doctor. I wish to study medicine at the University of Nairobi,” he said.
Reporting by Francis Mureithi, Joseph Openda, John Njoroge, Mercy Koskei, Angeline Ochieng, Evans Jaola, Titus Ominde, Winnie Atieno, Siago Cece, Steve Keter, Barnabas Bii, Sammy Lutta, George Odiwuor, Wycliffe Nyaberi and Mercy Mwende
