Elvis Ndungu Mbuthia 18, Mangu High School, Scored A 84 during the interview at the Nation Centre Nairobi on Thursday, January 9, 2025.
Eighteen-year-old Elvis Ndung’u Mbuthia, who scored straight As in all eight of KCSE 2024 subjects with a mean of 84 points, says coming top in his school and among the best nationally came as no surprise as he had anticipated excellent results.
Elvis shared that apart from Kiswahili Paper 3 Fasihi, the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) papers were manageable, “with Physics being particularly easy”.
He revealed that his preparation began in Form One at Mang’u High School, involving attending talks and revising past papers.
“I consistently featured among the top five performers at the school. Even on my worst days, I often outperformed my peers.”
When James Mbuthia, Elvis’ father received the good news of his son's performance, he acknowledged that his persistence in encouraging his son to perform well had bore fruits.
“I am a very excited father. I was expecting him to score an A, but not straight As. I encouraged him to work hard. Even when he came position two in his class I always reminded him that he should be number one,” he remarked.
The last born in a family of three, Elvis wants to be a software engineer.
“Software engineering has been a passion since Standard Seven. On most weekends I would dismantle old phones, study them and research to understand how the chip works,” Elvis says.
Elvis hopes to study abroad and is seeking support from the Equity Bank Foundation to consider him for the Equity Leaders Programme to achieve his dreams.
“I am appealing for support from the Equity Group Foundation as I want to go out there and do my best,” says Elvis.
He has applied to be considered for scholarships in 15 renowned US universities, including Stanford University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, New York University, Princeton University, among others.
The teen believes universities in the US offer extensive growth opportunities, including collaborative campus communities, student aid through scholarships, and ample research opportunities.
Shared aspirations
In August 2024, the students' counsellor at Mang’u School, noticing Elvis’s interest in studying abroad, encouraged him to start a club for students with similar aspirations to share information.
Elvis noted that many peers prefer studying abroad due to issues with local universities, such as funding challenges, prolonged degree completion times, and limited growth and career opportunities.
With public universities in Kenya struggling due to budget cuts and a contested new funding model, many, like Elvis, see applying for scholarships abroad as a practical alternative.
A skilled orator, Elvis began his public speaking journey at PCEA Kahawa Farmers Primary School, inspired by a girl who excelled in both academics and public speaking. At Mang’u High School, he represented the school at the national level.
In 2020, he had achieved 408 marks in the KCPE.
