NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 9 — Male candidates outperformed girls in most science and technical subjects in the 2025 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination, even as overall performance improved and more students qualified for university.
According to results released by Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba in Eldoret, boys posted higher mean scores than girls in Mathematics (both alternatives), Biology, Chemistry, General Science, Geography, History and Government, Business Studies, Building Construction and Islamic Religious Education (IRE), reinforcing a persistent gender gap in STEM and technical disciplines.
Girls, however, outperformed boys in English, Kiswahili, Kenyan Sign Language, Home Science, Christian Religious Education and Art and Design.
The ministry reported comparable performance in Physics, Agriculture, Computer Studies, French, German, Arabic and Music.
Ogamba said performance improved in 17 subjects, while 11 subjects recorded a decline.
A total of 993,226 candidates sat the 2025 KCSE examination, an increase of 30,714 from 2024, with the Kenya National Examinations Council reporting near gender parity.
Of these, 501,214 were female (50.46 per cent) while 492,012 were male (49.54 per cent), marking the second year in a row that girls outnumbered boys nationally.
The ministry said the number of candidates aged 16 years and below rose to 26,391, representing about 2.7 per cent of the total candidature, up from the previous year.
Meanwhile, 716,048 candidates, or 72.02 per cent, were aged between 17 and 19 years.
A total of 1,932 candidates, representing 0.19 per cent, attained a straight A, up from 1,693 in 2024.
270,715 direct university entry
National schools produced 1,526 of the As, followed by extra-county schools with 197 and private schools with 185.
Overall, 270,715 candidates, or 27.18 per cent, qualified for direct university entry with a mean grade of C+ and above, up from 246,391 (25.53 per cent) in 2024.
The number scoring C- and above rose to 507,131 (50.92 per cent), while those attaining a pass grade of D+ and above increased to 634,082 (63.67 per cent).
The 2025 cohort is the third-last under the 8-4-4 system as the country transitions to the Competency-Based Education system.
The first CBE cohort has already entered Senior School, and the government is preparing a Sessional Paper and 11 education bills to anchor the reforms in law.
At the university level, fees have been reduced by between 15 and 40 per cent, with students now paying between Sh5,800 and Sh75,000 per semester in public institutions.
Placement will be conducted using the Student-Centred Funding Model, which combines scholarships and loans based on financial need.
Despite tighter controls, 1,180 candidates had their results cancelled due to examination irregularities.
