Coast region celebrates as top students shine in 2024 KCSE results

The Coast region was filled with excitement and emotion on Thursday as the release of the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) results brought moments of celebration and reflection across various schools.

Uzer Hussein Ali, one of the top students at Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Secondary School, was emotional as he celebrated his remarkable achievement with fellow students and teachers. Uzer scored an impressive grade A with 82 points.

“I cannot explain this feeling. I am so excited and overwhelmed. If I feel this way, I can only imagine how my parents must feel. This result was unexpected,” said Uzer, the eldest child in his family.

He expressed his desire to pursue engineering at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology.

“It is all by God's grace, and I sincerely thank the teaching and non-teaching staff for their support throughout my four-year journey,” he added.

According to the school's principal, Sheikh Rishard Rajab, 213 students sat the 2024 KCSE exams, comprising 109 boys and 104 girls. The top student was Abdulrahman Said, who scored an A with 83 points, followed closely by Uzer Hussein and Najma Njambi, both scoring an A with 82 points. Seven other students attained A-.

“The results are still streaming in, but we are pleased so far. There was a slight drop from last year, as we had nine A grades previously. Nonetheless, we made significant efforts, especially under the new grading system,” noted Sheikh Rishard.

At Shimo La Tewa School, Fauz Jamal Kanji emerged as the top student with an A of 81 points, followed by Mwangi Emmanuel Ndirangu. Nine students attained A-.

Shimo La Tewa Principal, Mutiso Mbinda Mathew, stated that 397 students sat the 2024 KCSE exams, an increase from the 392 candidates in 2023.

“I can confidently say the school is regaining its glory. The students were disciplined to the end. This school has not experienced any strikes for the past seven to eight years. I thank God, the teachers, and the students for their hard work,” said Mutiso.

At Light Academy, Hamid Ali Muhammad led with an A of 84 points, expressing his ambition to pursue engineering in the future. He was the only student at the school to score an A at the time of reporting, though results were still being received.

“I am a proud father and cannot put into words how I feel today,” said Hamid’s father, Ali Muhammad.

Hamid’s teacher, Kamau Ali, an alumnus of Light Academy, expressed joy at the results.

“We witnessed self-drive and hard work among the students. We have strict schedules but allow them the freedom to choose their study methods, guided by the teachers,” said Kamau.

He noted that the school currently has a mean score of 8.90, with only half the results in, and projected it would surpass 9.5. However, he raised concerns about the new grading system.

“The system favours students in achieving good mean grades but may create false hopes. For instance, a student with a B plain may not qualify to pursue engineering if they fail in physics, even if the overall grade seems sufficient,” he explained.

At Mama Ngina Girls, Principal Mwanahamisi Omar reported that six students had so far scored A-.

“We had 229 candidates. The system is a bit slow, but we are pleased with the results so far. Relocating to the new school last year came with challenges, but we are happy with the progress,” said Omar.

In Lamu County, Hassan Mbarak Aboud and Athman Najim Abdalla from Mpeketoni Boys High School both scored A-.

In Kwale County, Ndanu Helen of Matuga Girls emerged as the top girl with a mean grade of A.