On Monday, January 8, 2024, Education Cabinet Secretary (CS) Ezekiel Machogu released the results of the 2023 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE).

Machogu, speaking at Moi Girls High School in Eldoret, reported that 899,453 candidates did the 2023 KCSE examination.

He stated that Kenya attained gender parity in secondary school, with 50.09% male and 49.91% female candidates taking the 2023 KCSE examinations.

The Education CS revealed that 1,216 candidates scored A plain, with national schools delivering the most number of top scorers.

Machogu stated that national schools across the country produced 889 consecutive As.

The Education CS further stated that 201,133 candidates who sat the 2023 KCSE achieved a minimum university admission grade of C+.

He also revealed that 526,222 candidates received an average grade of D+ or above.

Machogu dissatisfied that a considerable percentage of candidates (48,174) had an average grade of E.

“As Cabinet Secretary, I am also pained by the fact that a large number of candidates 48,174 or 5.33% ended up scoring a mean grade of E in the year 2023 KCSE examination even after the Ministry used a more flexible computing the final overall candidate results,” he said.

Machogu also urged for an inquiry into poor performance in the 2023 KSCE examinations.

“I therefore direct the directorate of quality assurance to work with field officers and teachers to investigate this, E grade cases in each county of the country and submit a report to me within one month for further action,” he said.

“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 added.