NAIROBI, Kenya – After almost one month of waiting, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba has finally released the highly anticipated 2024 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination results.
While releasing the results at Mtihani House in Nairobi on Thursday, January 9, 2025, CS Ogamba said that 605,774 (62.76%) candidates attained a pass grade (grade D+ and above) in the examination.
CS Ogamba compared this to 526,222 (58.27%) in 2023.
This will likely depress the spirits of thousands of candidates who had hoped to perform excellently in the tests.
However, there is no cause for alarm since they can enrol in any certificate program they choose.
According to the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS), the certificates are offered in various colleges and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions approved by the government.
Against this backdrop, Y News has compiled a list of 2024 KUCCPS-approved courses for KCSE students.
Some options include:
Certificate in Human Resource Management: This course introduces students to HR practices, such as recruitment, organisational behaviour, and employee relations.
Certificate in Information and Communication Technology: The minimum entry requirement for this program is a D+ in KCSE or its equivalent.
Certificate in Community Health and Development: This competitive program can be pursued with a D+ in KCSE.
Certificate in Information Technology: This competitive program can be pursued with a D+ in KCSE.
Certificate in Business Information Technology: This is a competitive program that can be pursued with a D+ in KCSE.
Certificate in Community Development and Social Work: This competitive program can be pursued with a D+ in KCSE.
Certificate in Security Studies and Criminology: This competitive program can be pursued with a D+ in KCSE.
Certificate in Conflict Resolutions and Peace Studies: This competitive program can be pursued with a D+ in KCSE.
Meanwhile, CS Ogamba announced that 962,512 candidates sat the 2024 KCSE examination, compared to 899,453 candidates in 2022.
“This represents an increase of 64,553 candidates (7.19%); of the 962,512 candidates who sat the 2024 KCSE examination, 480,310 were male, while 482,202 were female, representing 49.90% and 50.10% of the total candidature, respectively,” said the CS.
https://twitter.com/KUCCPS_Official/status/1877324746754249112
This is the first time since the inception of the KCSE examination that there are more female candidates than male candidates.
According to the CS, during the 2024 KCSE examination, 14 counties had significantly more male than female candidates.
Which counties had more male candidates than female
These were: Garissa (62.83%:37.17%), Mandera (63.83%:36.17%), Wajir (60.27%:39.73%), Turkana (59.64%:40.36%), Samburu (46.59%), Narok (52.77%:47.23%), Homabay (52.81%:47.19%), West Pokot (53.52%:46.48%), Mombasa (51.31%:48.83%), Migori (51.02%:48.98%), Embu (51.09%:48.91%), Kisii (51.03%:48.97%), Nyamira (51.39%:48.61%), and Baringo (51.67%:48.69%).
Fourteen (14) counties had a significant entry of more female than male candidates: Vihiga (55.15%: 44.85%), %: 44.85%), Elgeyo Marakwet (53.76%: 46.24%), Kirinyaga (51.46%: 48.54%), Meru (51.69%:48.31%), Kiambu (52.78%: 47.22%), Nairobi (52.41%: 47.59%), Kisumu (52.39%: 47.61%), Kitui (51.14%: 48.86%), Taita Taveta (51.45%: 48.55%), Kwale (53.31%: 46.69%), Isiolo (52.11%:47.89%), Tharaka Nithi (52.06%: 47.94%), Kakamega (51.80%:48.20%) and Uasin Gishu (51.06%: 48.94).
According to CS Ogamba, the number of candidates aged 16 and below increased from 16,040 (1.776%) in 2023 to 20,546 (2.129%) in 2024.
“The highest percentage of candidates registered for the 2024 KCSE examination were within the appropriate age bracket of between 17 to 19 years, constituting 684,765 (70.95%) of the total candidature,” explained the CS.
The CS, accompanied by other top government officials from the Ministry of Education, observed that the percentage of candidates 20 years and above constituted 259,861 (22.07%).
