Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu on Monday, January 8, 2024 unveiled the outcomes of the 2023 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) , disclosing that a total of 899,453 candidates participated in the exams.
Speaking at Moi Girls High School in Eldoret, Machogu highlighted that gender parity was achieved at the secondary education level, with 50.09% male and 49.91% female candidates sitting for the 2023 KCSE exams.
Revealing notable achievements, the Education CS announced that 1,216 candidates secured an A plain, with national schools leading in producing the highest number of top achievers.
National schools, in particular, produced an impressive 889 straight As.
However, amidst the successes, Machogu expressed concern over the performance of 48,174 candidates who scored a mean grade of E.
Addressing this issue, he urged an immediate investigation, directing the Directorate of Quality Assurance to collaborate with field officers and teachers to submit a comprehensive report within one month.
“As a country, we must start interrogating data and evidence to enable us to make critical decisions that would ensure we realize our return on investment from all resources that the government puts in the education sector,”Machogu emphasized.
Furthermore, Machogu revealed that 201,133 candidates achieved the minimum university entry grade of C+, marking a 2.65% increase from the previous year.
The Education CS concluded by acknowledging the positive performance in twelve subjects, including Mathematics, Kiswahili, Biology, Business Studies, and others, which exhibited significant improvements in the 2023 KCSE Examination.
