Candidates, congratulations on this monumental milestone. You have completed your secondary school journey—a journey of discipline, sacrifice, and resilience. For four years, you woke up early, wore uniforms, followed rules, endured exams, and pushed through moments of doubt. You ran a good race. You stayed focused. And today, you can confidently say: I have finished the race.
But as you walk out of the school gate for the last time as a student, you are stepping into a world far bigger, freer, harsher, and more complex than you can imagine. School curtailed your freedom. Teachers guided your steps, corrected your mistakes, and sheltered you from many realities. Now the world takes over—and the world is not a controlled environment. Out here, there is no bell, no roll call, no homework, no prefect, no punishment, and no teacher to warn you about life’s traps. You will be on your own, and that reality demands a new level of maturity.
This is a moment of celebration, but it is also a moment for sober reflection. Freedom will be your biggest blessing—and your greatest test. Many young people lose their direction right after KCSE because they mistake freedom for permission to do anything. But true freedom is responsibility. It is the ability to make choices that do not destroy your future. It is understanding that while you can do anything, you cannot do everything—and not everything is beneficial.
The first advice is simple: guard yourself. Life after high school is full of voices—friends, social media influencers, temptations, shortcuts, fake lifestyles, and quick-money schemes. Not every voice deserves your attention. Some friends will push you towards growth; others will drag you towards destruction. Choose your company wisely. The people you walk with in the next 12 months will shape the person you become in the next 12 years. Do not follow crowds. Do not be pressured by what others are doing. Your journey is yours—protect it.
Secondly, understand that this world does not reward laziness. It rewards resilience, curiosity, and effort. The KCSE results you will receive are not the end of your story. They are just a small part of your journey. Some of you will score grades you are proud of; others may feel disappointed. But the truth is this: your grade is not your destiny. Many people with poor grades built great lives through effort, creativity, and discipline. Many with top grades lost their way because they thought success was automatic. What will matter from now on is not the grade on your certificate, but the decisions you make daily—how you use your time, how you sharpen your skills, how you behave, and how you carry yourself.
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Third, learn a skill. The world you are entering rewards competence, not certificates alone. Whether you go to university, TVET, or take a gap period, invest in a skill—digital, technical, creative, entrepreneurial, or social. Learn to solve problems. Learn to communicate. Learn to lead. Learn to think. These skills will open doors that no exam can shut.
Fourth, take care of your mental and emotional well-being. Life outside school can be overwhelming—uncertain results, expectations from home, peer pressure, financial struggles, heartbreaks, joblessness, and social comparison. Do not suffer in silence. If life feels heavy, speak to someone. You are not weak for seeking help; you are wise. Learn to breathe, to pause, to think before reacting, and to take life one step at a time.
Fifth, do not rush into adulthood. Many young people destroy their future by trying to live too fast—alcohol, drugs, reckless relationships, crime, betting, fake lifestyles. These things appear attractive, but they consume your time, your dignity, and your destiny. Freedom without discipline is self-destruction. Protect your body, protect your dreams, protect your potential.
Remember, you are about to build a life, not a weekend. Do not make decisions that cost you your tomorrow for the sake of impressing people who will not remember you next month.
Sixth, honour your parents and guardians. They may not have been perfect, but they sacrificed so much for you to reach this point. Respect them. Listen to them. They are not burdens—they are your anchor. Their wisdom may not be fashionable, but it is valuable.
Finally, believe in yourself. The world can be cruel, but it can also be generous to those who dare to try. You are young, you are energetic, you are gifted, and you have a future worth fighting for. Do not allow fear, failure, or comparison to paralyze you. Start where you are, with what you have, and grow from there.
You are stepping into adulthood—walk boldly, walk wisely, and walk purposefully.The race you have finished the race. Now the real journey begins.
Go well.
Go strong.
Go prepared.
By Ashford Kimani
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