Most top schools in Nyanza posted impressive results in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination.
The results released yesterday by Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha put Maranda High, Agoro Sare, Riokindo and St Joseph Rapogi in the limelight over their good performance.
Agoro Sare in Homa Bay County produced the second-best student nationally, Allan Udoma, while Maranda had the eighth and fourteenth in Henry Madaga and Kiprono Howard, respectively.
Maranda, in Siaya, topped Nyanza schools with a mean score of 9.7, which was an improvement from 2019 when it scored 8.9.
The school also had two students living with disability emerge among the best in their category. John Ominde, who is visually impaired, and David Omondi, who is physically challenged, were among the top 15 candidates.
The school also produced one of the best candidates aged below 16, Bill Jefferson. Deputy Principal Jacob Odeny said the school expected a good performance.
“Our motto for the year was Kenya One 2020. The students have done us proud despite the prevailing circumstances,” said Mr Odeny, adding that the school registered 453 candidates.
He said the number of candidates went down from 728 in 2019, with a mean of 8.9, adding that 48 students scored A (plain), 142 A- (minus), 104 B+ (plus), while 139 scored C- (minus) and above.
“We only had two candidates scoring D+ (plus),” said Odeny.
Kisumu Boys High School recorded an improved performance, with 19 candidates scoring A- (minus) while 215 of the 290 candidates scored above C+ (plus).
The school recorded a mean grade of 7.61, up from 7.46 in 2019. Principal Peter Obuogo attributed the performance to “intensified” collaboration between teachers, learners and parents.
Maseno School recorded a mean grade of 9.58, a positive deviation of 0.6 in the 2019 examination. The school recorded 24 As, 121 A- (minus) and 121 B+ (plus).
Principal Andrew Buop said the excellent performance was due to dedication by teachers and students amid the impact of Covid-19.
“We have always performed well, and we continue to scale the heights,” he said.
Ugenya High posted good results and improved its mean score from 7.05 in the last examination to 7.5. Principal Clement Nyang’acha said the school had 174 candidates, with 137 getting C+ or above.
The improvement, Mr Nyagacha said, was due to teamwork, motivated staff and benchmarking with performing institutions. “Our students were set to achieve good results. We also had general goodwill from stakeholders.”
At Agoro Sare, Principal James Momanyi described Udoma, who scored an A of 87.173 points, as a student who had been resilient and dedicated in his studies. “Udoma has been number one from Form One. He has been disciplined. His current performance is not a surprise to us based on how we knew him.”
The principal said the school’s good performance was due to its structured academic programmes. “Our teachers go extra miles beyond the normal academic timetables. It has become our tradition to work in a structured manner.”
At Mbita High School there were nine A plain. Principal Kennedy Ojijo said the good performance was achieved because of co-operation between teachers, students and parents. “I thank God that we had a very committed and dedicated academic class. Parents have been supportive too.”
Similar celebrations were witnessed at Asumbi Girls School and Orero Boys. Asumbi principal Linet Sati said they had 19 candidates with A plain.
Other schools that posted good results were Ringa Boys and Homa Bay High. The latter had five A plain while Ringa had two candidates with the same grade.
Nyanza also recorded some of the most improved schools, with Oriwo recording a positive deviation of 31.07 to 78.72. Others were Riokiondo in Kisii with a positive deviation of 18.8 to 65, St Joseph’s Rapogi in Migori County with a positive deviation of 31.1 to 77.78, and Wiobiero with a positive deviation of 28 to record 70.
St Charles Lwanga, Nyamira Boys and Nyambaria also registered impressive results.
The strategy that worked for Riokiondo Boys was a drastic decision in 2013 to sponsor 60 needy and bright students to join Form One.
Magoha said the school was among the most improved and top performing in the country with a mean of 9.33.
Last year, the school posted a mean of 7.36 and emerged one of the best in Kisii County.
In 2017, the school had 117 students, with 109 getting direct university entry. The 60 sponsored students also joined university, with six of them studying medicine.
The school also emerged top in Kisii and was position 36 nationally. In the 1990s, Riokiondo, in Bomachoge Borabu Constituency, was an academic giant for over a decade.
Principal Fred Mogaka, a Mathematics teacher, said the journey had not been easy.
In Migori, parents, teachers and students of St Joseph Rapogi High School celebrated being among the most improved schools in the country as Kanga High topped the county list.
Rapogi improved its mean from 7.2 to 8.2. Principal Jackson Owino said two candidates got straight A while 43 had A-, which was an improvement from 25 recorded last year.
“With the results compiled, we have taken 381 who have scored over C+ and above to university out of 422 students, which is higher than 253 we got last time,” Mr Owino said.
Kanga High deputy principal James Kabaraka said the school had a mean of 9.05, with four candidates scoring straight As and 57 scoring A-.
