It was shock and disbelief for top schools in Nyanza as their performance dipped to the lowest level in years.Teachers at Maseno School were lost for words after the institution, which registered more than 200 candidates, failed to score a single A grade, a pale shadow of last year, when they had 137 As.
Maseno has for a long time been a regional pace setter and a national giant only compared to Alliance, Kabarak, Starehe and Mangu. Last year, the school had 125 A- and 19 B+ in what was seen as one of its best results in years.
Yesterday, the school was deserted. The principal, Paul Otula was said to be in Nairobi and could not be reached on phone. A teacher found at the school and who sought anonymity said they had not started checking the results.
“We are yet to start analysing the results,” he said, adding that teachers were not in school because the release of the results had caught everyone off guard.
“We will give more details later,” said the teacher.
Another giant, Maranda High School managed two As, down from 68 last year. The school also posted 166 A- and 87 B+ in last year’s exam. The Principal, Boaz Owino, could not be reached for comment.
But teachers and parents of Kisii High School could afford a smile as the institution had six As, perhaps the highest in Nyanza. Last year, the school had 34 As.
Peter Manyara Sylvanus, Allan O. Ooko, William Nyamari, Kengere Moses Nyandoro, Ochako Hesborn Mogere and Odhiambo Makfinley Oweno all scored A to put the school where Chief Justice David Maraga sat for his Kenya Advanced Certificate of Secondary School in the 70s among the top. All scored 81 aggregate marks.
In the 2015 KCSE, many schools in Nyanza had the highest number of students who scored C+ and above.
St Francis Rangala, which emerged the best performing girls school in Nyanza, had 58 As, followed by Asumbi Girls which had 57. Kanga had 42, Barding 29 and Orero Boys had 28. This year, the A graph for the schools has taken a significant dip.
While releasing the results in Mombasa yesterday, Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i said the reduced number
Scholarship 2026/27
Current Scholarships 2026/2027 - Fully Funded
Full Undergraduate Scholarships 2026 - 2027
Fully Funded Masters Scholarships 2026 - 27
PhD Scholarships for International Students - Fully Funded!
Funding Opportunities for Journalists 2026/2027
Funding for Entrepreneurs 2026/2027
***