Nakuru’s academic giants retain their top positions in 2016 KCPE exams

Joyce Wangui Maina of Lions Primary School celebrates with her teachers ON December 1, 2016 after scoring 426 marks in her KCPE exams. The best candidate in Nakuru in the 2016 KCPE exams is Janerosa Wanjiku Mwangi from St Mary’s Girls Boarding Primary School - a public primary school in Nakuru Town. PHOTO | SULEIMAN MBATIAH | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Janerosa Wanjiku Mwangi from St Mary’s Girls Boarding Primary School is top with 433 marks.
  • Gilgil’s St Peter’s Elite Academy’s best scorer, 13-year-old Faith Swanya registered an impressive 432 marks.
  • Nakuru County registered 31,020 candidates in the 2016 KCPE examination.

St Mary’s Girls Boarding Primary School - a public primary school in Nakuru Town - produced the best candidate in Nakuru County in the 2016 KCPE exams.

Janerosa Wanjiku Mwangi, from the only boarding public primary school in Nakuru Town located near Afraha Stadium, scored 433 marks emerging the best in the county.

Nakuru produced the best girl in the 2015 KCPE exams.

This year, most of Nakuru County’s all-time academic giants have retained their positions at the top, even as their best scores dropped compared to previous years.

Gilgil’s St Peter’s Elite Academy’s best scorer, 13-year-old Faith Swanya registered an impressive 432 marks.

Thirty out of the 88 candidates from the school scored over 400 marks.

Just 300 meters away, Gilgil Hills Schools, which produced the best female candidate countrywide in the 2015 KCPE exams, was celebrating a sterling performance after 60 out of its 174 candidates registered 400 marks and above in 2016.

Nakuru County registered 31,020 candidates in the 2016 KCPE examination.

LOWER PERFORMANCE

Although retaining their positions at the top in the region, most of the best schools in the county generally registered a lower performance compared to previous years.

Gilgil Hills School’s performance dropped from its best mark of 445 in 2015 which saw it produce the best female candidate nationally.

This time, Linda Nyakundi emerged top in the school, scoring 426 marks, followed by Siro Moraa (422) and Alvin Nyongesa (422).

The school’s headteacher, Mr Lawrence Anyona, attributed the good results to hard work, discipline and prayers.

“We thank God for the good performance. It was hard work and discipline that enabled out students to perform as they did,” he said.

The two schools brought business in Gilgil town to a standstill with celebrations following their sterling performance.

Immediately the results started streaming in, teachers, parents and pupils from the two schools broke into song and dance as they celebrated the good results.

Also among Nakuru’s top performers is Lions Primary School which has 23 candidates attaining at least 400 marks.

The best candidate in the school is Joyce Wangui who scored 426 followed by Kinyua Bernice (415) and Beth Nyanchera (414).

The school’s headteacher, Mr Phanuel Imbusi, said the management is happy that the examination was done in a transparent manner.

PRAISES FOR MATIANG'I

He said the assurance by the Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i on transparency gave pupils confidence to face the exam.

“We are satisfied with the results and we hope to score much higher in the coming years,” said Mr Imbusi.

Both Carol Academy and Christ the King, also in the county, had nine candidates each scoring above 400 marks.

Notably, Moi Kabarak Primary school which has been one of the academic giants in the region for years dropped drastically from 70 candidates scoring over 400 marks in the 2015 exam to only 31 out of 86 of the 2016 exam.

The best candidate in the school scored 429 marks.

Moi Primary School in Nakuru Town Anestar, St Mary's Girls Molo, St Thomas Aquinas, High Peak and St Georges Grassland academies also had several pupils scoring above 400 marks.

RETAINED FOOTHOLD

In Naivasha the top performing three, Little Friends Junior Academy, Lizar Junior Academy and High Peak Junior Academy maintained their foothold, triumphing over their rivals.

Perhaps a surprise entrant is the newly established Mount Longonot School, which threatened to upstage the traditionally education powerhouse in Naivasha.

The best performing candidate from Little Friends Academy is Maina Mary Muthoni who scored 425 marks followed by Mwangi Shadrack Maina who attained 422 marks.

Their teacher, Iprahim Sankei, hailed Dr Matiang’i for releasing the results early, saying it gives the candidates ample time to prepare for the Form One admission.

Some of the best performers in Nakuru County in 2016 KCPE exam

1. Janerosa Wanjiku Mwangi – 433 - St Mary’s Girls Boarding Primary School, Nakuru
2. Faith Swanya - 432 - St Peter’s Elite Academy- Gilgil
3. Mike Muchiri - 429 - Moi Kabarak Primary School
4. Maina Joyce Wangoi - 426 - Lions Primary School
5. Linda Nyakundi - 426 - Gilgil Hills Schools
6. Maina Mary Muthoni - 425 - Little Friends Academy, Naivasha
7. Deng Ajak Deng - 422 - Carol Academy
8. Macharia Mercy Nyambura - 422 - Mount Longonot Academy
9. Siro Chelsea Moraa - 422 - Gilgil Hills Schools
10. Mathew Letua - 421 - Mount Longonot Academy
11. Kipchumba Fineas Kipsang - 421 - High Peak Academy
12. Darling Selah - 420 - Moi Primary School, Nakuru Town
13. Alvin Gregory Nyongesa - 420 - Gilgil Hills Schools

Additional Reporting by Macharia Mwangi, Godfrey Oundoh and Reitz Mureithi