Many schools in the Mt Kenya region recorded improved performance in the 2025 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination compared to the 2024 edition.
School principals attributed the performance to hard work, discipline, and support from both the teaching and non-teaching staff, as well as the parents.
In Kiambu County, some of the top performers include Alliance High School with a mean score of 10.47, Alliance Girls High School (10.065), Nova Pioneer Tatu Boys High School (10.2), and Loreto High School, Limuru (9.404).
In Nyeri County, many schools recorded an improvement in their mean score despite an increase in the class population as compared to last year.
At Kagumo Boys High School, the class that had 515 candidates recorded a mean score of 9.9.
According to the Chief Principal Dr Silas Mwirigi, in the 2025 class, only six students did not qualify for university admission.
"We attribute the success to our parents and teachers who worked tirelessly to ensure that our candidates had a good studying environment. We also did a lot of revision to prepare our candidates for the examination," Dr Mwirigi said.
He said in 2025, the school recorded 75 A (plain) grades, A- (minuses) were 149, B+ (plus) were 111, and 83 B (plain). Additionally, the school recorded 63 B- (minus), C+ (plus), six C (plain), and two C- (minus).
This was an improvement compared to 2024 when the school had 41 students with A plain, 100 students with A minus, 116 students with B plus, 84 students with B plain, 47 students with B minus, 35 students with C plus, 14 students with grade C plain, seven students with C minus and two students with a grade of D plus.
At Bishop Gatimu Ngandu Girls High School, the school recorded a mean of 9.2, an improvement from 9.03 in 2024.
Speaking to journalists at the school, Chief Principal Ms Jane Njuguna said, despite the improvement in mean score, the school had a class of 401 in 2024 as compared to 424 candidates in 2025.
Meru School recorded a mean score of 9.97 with only eight out of 545 candidates scoring a grade below C+.
The school principal, Mwenda Rutere, said 69 boys scored straight A’s while 136 had A- (minus) grade. Another 153 candidates got a B Plus, 117 B (Plain), 49 B- and 13 C+.
"This means 537 candidates from the 2025 class will be transitioning to university. This is a great improvement from a mean of 9.36 in the 2024 national exam," Mr Rutere said.
Nanyuki High School in Laikipia County broke a record in the school’s history of KCSE performance, posting a total of 55 plain As, a feat that has never been achieved before.
Last year, the school, one of the most preferred institutions in the country according to a recent Education ministry report, posted only two plain A’s, with the highest achievement recording being 15 plain A’s in 2023.
It also posted the highest number of A-minuses with a total of 130 candidates scoring the grade, up from 53 achieved in 2024.
Celebrations erupted among teachers and students who abandoned their lunchtime meals and congregated at the assembly grounds upon receiving the good news before pouring into Nanyuki Town streets.
The Chief Principal, Mr Solomon Koech, attributed the sterling performance to hard work and team work, saying the school still faces challenges in infrastructure, but that has not been a hindrance in posting good results in national exams.
Mr Koech said the said a steady rise in performance has been witnessed in the past few years, but 2025 was the best so far where the mean score rose to 9.683 from 8.9 recorded last year.
A total of 448 students out of the 477 wrote the national exam last year, managing a C+ and above. About ten years ago, the school experienced indiscipline cases among student but it has recently shed the bad past and has not been affected by unrest in the last seven years.
St Mary's Girls' Igoji in Meru County recorded an improvement after the 2025 class scored a mean of 9.12 compared to 8.49 in 2024.
Ikuu Boys in neighbouring Tharaka Nithi County also posted a higher mean with 9.18 against 8.59 in 2024. Others are Kiurani Boys', which posted a mean of 7.8, and Chogoria Boys', 7.6.
Baricho Boys High School in Kirinyaga County produced seven straight As, emerging as one of the best performing learning institutions in last year's Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education exams in Mt Kenya region.
There was jubilation in the school as teachers led by the principal, Moses Muiruri, celebrated the exam results.
Charles Wainaina emerged top of the school after he scored a mean grade A of 84 points. Samuel Kamonjo was second with a mean grade of 83 points. The principal attributed the sterling performance to teamwork.
Moi Mbiruri High School and Kangaru Girls in Embu County, as well as Chogoria Boys High School in Tharaka Nithi, also posted impressive performances.
At Moi Mbiruri High School, Christian Muthoni scored a mean grade of A, 83 points.
At the Murang'a high school, the chief principal, Mr Willie Kuria, who is also the chair of the Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association, said the school attained a mean grade of 9.8.
Mr Kuria said, "We appear set for another good examination year once all results are tabulated and we are the most likely champions in the county with over 90 percent transition to university.”
The Nation encountered Ryan Karanja, who scored a grade of A- (Minus). "I'm happy to my God and my parents. I’m truly favoured and blessed. My cup is overflowing. Thank you, Jesus," he marvelled.
At Maragua town, Julie Gloria Angel of Beatitudes Girls High school scored a mean Grade of B+ and said it was a dream come true.
"This is for my parents...They have struggled a great deal with me. I'm tops here and I really appreciate my special needs status that besides, have not counted a thing in my moment of glory," she said.
She added, "I will march on into the university to pursue international law, and God with me, focus being my strength and my parents as my key pillars, I will come back here to say thank you to this school.”
The school's patron Father Martin Kariuki said, "We are happy for this girl for showing the world that gender is nothing, background counts not and hard work pays in this world if indeed we pursued the values of equal opportunity.”
Reported by Mercy Mwende, David Muchui, George Munene, Mwangi Muiruri, and Manase.
Alliance High School : 10.47 Alliance Girls High School : 10.065 Nova Pioneer Tatu City Boys High School = 10.2 Meru School : 9.97 Kagumo Boys High School : 9.9 Murang'a High School : 9.8 Nanyuki High School : 9.683 Loreto High School, Limuru : 9.404 Bishop Gatimu Ngandu Girls High School : 9.2 Ikuu Boys : 9.18 St Mary's Girls' Igoji : 9.12
