Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has congratulated students who sat the 2025 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE), emphasizing that exam results are “not an end in themselves but a means to an end.”
In a post on social media, Kindiki commended the 993,226 candidates who sat the exams, highlighting the 270,715 students who qualified for direct entry into universities.
He also acknowledged the remaining candidates, noting that they will access opportunities in vocational training institutions, tertiary colleges, and other skills development programs.
“Examination results are not an end in themselves but a means to an end,” he said.
Kindiki added that Kenya is set to retire the 8-4-4 system by 2027, transitioning fully to the Competence-Based Education and Training (CBET) system.
He described CBET as a superior alternative that will better equip students with practical skills, helping Kenya achieve its vision of joining the ranks of economically advanced nations.
“While the 8-4-4 programme has served us well, CBET is a better and more adaptive system,” Kindiki said. He noted that the government has been taking deliberate steps over the last three years to ensure a smooth transition and will continue refining the system until it is fully implemented.
Meanwhile, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos Ogamba announced that national schools led in producing top-performing students in the 2025 KCSE. Speaking during the release at Chebissas Boys Secondary School in Eldoret on January 8, 2026, CS Ogamba said a total of 1,932 candidates obtained an overall mean grade of A (plain). National schools accounted for 1,526 of these top grades, followed by Extra County schools with 197 and private schools with 185.
“This is an improvement compared to 1,693 candidates who achieved an A grade in 2024,” CS Ogamba said.
A total of 270,715 candidates (27.18%) qualified for direct university entry with a mean grade of C+ and above, up from 246,391 candidates (25.53%) in 2024. Candidates with C- and above rose to 507,131 (50.92%) from 476,889 (49.41%), while those attaining a pass grade of D+ and above increased to 634,082 (63.67%) from 605,774 (62.76%). Sub-County schools recorded more candidates with C+ and above than County schools, with 72,699 and 36,600 respectively.
CS Ogamba also confirmed that 1,180 candidates were involved in examination irregularities. Of the total 993,226 candidates who sat the exams, 492,012 were male (49.54%) and 501,214 were female (50.46%), marking the second consecutive year that female candidates outnumbered male candidates, though ten counties recorded more male than female candidates.
The number of candidates aged 16 years and below increased from 20,546 (2.13%) in 2024 to 26,391 (2.65%) in 2025, while the majority, 716,048 candidates (72.02%), were aged between 17 and 19 years.
In terms of subject performance, female candidates recorded higher mean scores in six subjects: English, Kiswahili, Kenyan Sign Language, Home Science, CRE, and Art & Design. Male candidates outperformed females in 11 subjects, including Mathematics (Alternatives A and B), Biology, Chemistry, General Science, History & Government, Geography, IRE, Building & Construction, and Business Studies.
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