By Roy Hezron
English Composition, Kiswahili Lugha, Kiswahili Insha, Kenyan Sign Language (KSL) Composition, Science and Social Studies papers performed better in the 2021 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examination.
While releasing the results at the Kenya National Examination Council headquarters at Mitihani House in Nairobi on March 28, 2022 Education Cabinet Secretary Prof George Magoha stated that the performance of male and female candidates was comparable in all the subjects, though the girls performed slightly better than boys in English and Kiswahili.
“I am happy to announce that six papers recorded an improvement in performance in the year 2021 when compared to the year 2020,” said Prof Magoha.
Three other papers, Mathematics, English Language and Religious Education, recorded a drop in performance in 2021 when compared to 2020, while Kenyan Sign Language recorded a comparable performance in 2021 and 2020.
Male candidates performed slightly better than their female counterparts in Kenyan Sign Language, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies and Religious Education.
A total of 1,214,031 candidates who included 610,384 (50.28 per cent) boys and 603,647 (49.72 per cent) girls did their 2021 KCPE examination in 28,313 centres across the country compared to 1,179,192 candidates who sat in the 2020 KCPE; which represented a candidature increment of 34,839 (2.95 per cent) candidates in 2021 compared to 2020, with Male and female candidates increasing by 19,934 (3.27 per cent) and 14,905 (2.47 per cent) respectively.
A total of 174,910 professionals drawn from the Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government, Ministry of Education, Teachers Service Commission and other government agencies were used to administer the 2020 KCPE examination.
12 counties which are Mombasa, Meru, Isiolo, Tharaka Nithi, Nairobi, Uasin Gishu, Busia, Bungoma, Kakamega, Vihiga, Kisumu and Siaya registered more female than male candidates for 2021 KCPE examination
In 2020, twenty (20) counties, including the 12 counties mentioned above, registered more female than male candidates, with the number of candidates who were absent decreasing from 12,424 (1.04 per cent) in 2020 to 11,523 (0.94 per cent) in 2021 KCPE examination.
The number of registered candidates who were 12 years and below increased from 26,378 (2.21 per cent) in 2020 to 33,627 (2.74 per cent) in 2021; with Baringo 1,302 (7.09 per cent), Bomet 1,932 (6.51 per cent), Kericho 1,846 (6.24 per cent), West Pokot 947 (5.98 per cent) and Nyamira 1,111 (5.90 per cent) counties recording the highest entry for candidates who were 12 years and below in the 2021 KCPE examination.
The counties with an exception of Nyamira recorded a similar trend in the 2020 KCPE examination.
The highest number of candidates which is at 551,920 (45.03 per cent) were in the appropriate age bracket of 13-14 years, a trend which has been replicated in the last five years.
The counties which had the highest entry of candidates who were 19 years and above were Turkana with 2,755 (16.76 per cent), Garissa with 1,484 (14.44 per cent), Kilifi with 3,304 (8.41 per cent), Kwale with 1,940 (8.35 per cent) and Mandera with 386 (6.05 per cent) candidates.
The counties except for Mandera recorded a similar trend in the 2020 KCPE examination.
“In line with the Government’s 100 per cent transition policy, all the 1,214,031 candidates whose results we are releasing will be admitted to secondary schools. Already, the Ministry has put in place measures to ensure the selection exercise is conducted the soonest possible to ensure the candidates join Form One soon given that the next academic calendar is heavily shortened,” noted Prof Magoha
A total of 4,970 Centre Managers hosted a total of 6,863 examination centres that had registered less than 30 candidates.
KNEC engaged the services of 5,567 examiners for the marking of English Composition and Kiswahili Insha answer scripts.
