Girls bow down to Boys in 2025 KCSE
In the 2025 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination, male candidates significantly outperformed their female peers in nearly all science subjects.
While there was some balance in a few areas, boys led the way in 11 subjects, including Mathematics (both Alternatives A and B), Biology and Biology for the Blind, Chemistry, General Science, History and Government, Geography, Islamic Religious Education (IRE), Building Construction, and Business Studies.
During the results announcement on Friday at Chebisaas Boys High School in Eldoret, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba noted that female candidates excelled in six subjects: English, Kiswahili, Kenyan Sign Language, Home Science, Christian Religious Education (CRE), and Art and Design.
In subjects like Physics, Agriculture, Computer Studies, French, German, Arabic, and Music, performance levels were quite similar between the genders.
Ogamba also pointed out that the number of female candidates registered in five subjects—Metalwork, Power Mechanics, Electricity, Drawing and Design, and Aviation Technology—was too low to make a fair comparison with their male counterparts.
Overall, 1,932 candidates, which is about 0.19 percent of the total 993,226 who took the exam, achieved an overall mean grade of A (plain). This is an improvement from 2024, when 1,693 candidates, or 0.18 percent, reached the same grade.
Additionally, there were 30,714 more candidates who sat for the 2025 KCSE compared to the 962,512 in 2024, marking a 3.19 percent increase.
Out of the 993,226 candidates who took the 2025 exam, 492,012 were male and 501,214 were female, making up 49.54 percent and 50.46 percent of the total candidates, respectively.
“This is the second year in a row since the inception of the KCSE examination that female candidates have outnumbered male candidates,” Ogamba said.
The Cabinet Secretary pointed out that there are 10 counties where the number of male candidates far exceeds that of female candidates.
These counties include Garissa (66.24% male to 33.76% female), Mandera (65.09% male to 34.91% female), Wajir (60.10% male to 39.90% female), Turkana (57.67% male to 42.33% female), Narok (53.10% male to 46.90% female), Samburu (52.43% male to 47.57% female), Mombasa (52.08% male to 47.92% female), Homa Bay (52.00% male to 48.00% female), Nyamira (51.97% male to 48.03% female), and West Pokot (51.84% male to 48.16% female).
On the flip side, 14 counties showed a significantly higher number of female candidates compared to their male counterparts.
These counties are Vihiga (55.90% female to 44.10% male), Elgeyo Marakwet (55.06% female to 44.94% male), Kisumu (53.87% female to 46.15% male), Kiambu (53.23% female to 46.77% male), Kwale (53.19% female to 46.81% male), Nairobi (52.90% female to 47.10% male), and Kakamega (52.47% female to 47.53% male).
Additionally, Meru (52.22% female to 47.78% male), Isiolo (52.21% female to 47.79% male), Uasin Gishu (52.14% female to 47.86% male), Machakos (51.87% female to 48.13% male), Kitui (51.74% female to 48.26% male), Busia (51.72% female to 48.28% male), and Tharaka Nithi (51.57% female to 48.43% male) also reported more female candidates.
Ogamba pointed out that there’s almost perfect gender balance in 23 counties. These include Lamu (49.11% men to 50.89% women), Marsabit (49.15% men to 50.85% women), Embu (49.24% men to 50.76% women), Tana River (49.25% men to 50.75% women), Laikipia (49.27% men to 50.73% women), Kisii (49.31% men to 50.69% women), Baringo (49.34% men to 50.66% women), and Migori (49.48% men to 50.66% women).
Trans Nzoia (49.82% men to 50.18% women), Nandi (49.89% men to 50.11% women), Kajiado (49.99% men to 50.01% women), Taita Taveta (50.27% women to 49.73% men), Kericho (50.38% women to 49.62% men), Siaya (50.45% women to 49.55% men), Kilifi (50.53% women to 49.47% men), Bomet (50.59% women to 49.41% men), and Nyeri (50.71% women to 49.29% men).
Nyandarua (50.71% women to 49.29% men), Murang’a (50.92% women to 49.08% men), Nakuru (50.95% women to 49.05% men), Kirinyaga (50.98% women to 49.02% men), Bungoma (51.24% women to 48.76% men), and Makueni (51.48% women to 48.52% men) also show similar trends.
Girls bow down to Boys in 2025 KCSE
