NAIROBI, Kenya – Female learners have posted stronger results than their male counterparts in the inaugural Kenya Junior Secondary Education Assessment (KJSEA), marking a significant performance gap in the first national evaluation under the Competency-Based Education (CBE) system.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba released the results on Thursday, revealing that girls outperformed boys in 10 of the 12 assessed subjects.
“The widest gender gap was observed in Kiswahili, where girls scored 64.86 per cent compared to 51.4 per cent for boys, followed by Christian Religious Education, with girls at 59.77 per cent against 48.39 per cent,” Ogamba said.
Girls also led in English (52.82 per cent versus 48.45 per cent) and Social Studies (62.89 per cent against 54.35 per cent).
However, Ogamba flagged worrying trends in Mathematics and Kenyan Sign Language, where performance levels remained below expectations at 32.44 per cent and 22.14 per cent respectively.
The 2025 Grade 9 class is the pioneer cohort of the CBE system, having sat the KPSEA in 2022, making this the first set of results to be released at the end of Junior School.
Learners were examined in nine subject areas, including English, Kiswahili or Kenyan Sign Language, Mathematics, Integrated Science, Agriculture and Nutrition, Social Studies, Religious Education, Creative Arts and Sports, and Pre-Technical Studies.
Placement Within One Week
The Ministry of Education said senior school placement letters will be issued within a week of the results.
Admission to Senior School begins on January 12, 2026, with placement guided by merit, learner preferences, aptitude, equity and available spaces.
Ogamba urged parents to prepare early, noting that the tight timeline will require readiness.
“Parents should have their child’s assessment number ready, ensure they have airtime or internet access, and begin planning financially for the transition,” he said, adding that the ministry is fully prepared for a smooth placement process.
Under the pathway-based placement model, learners are required to select 12 schools: seven first-choice, three second-choice, and two third-choice institutions. Nine must be boarding schools — three within their home county and six outside — while three must be day schools in their sub-county.
Placement will factor in KJSEA performance, KPSEA results, psychometric assessments, regional equity considerations, and school capacity.
