Olive Mwea from Riara Primary School and Rawlings Odhiambo from Kakamega Hill School are 2018’s top Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) candidates having scored 453 marks out the possible 500 marks.
Olive and Rawlings tied in scores in all the five subjects despite being miles away during the exam period and unknown to each other. The two candidates scored 99 percent in mathematics, 92 percent in English, 97 percent in Kiswahili, 81 percent in science and 84 percent in social studies.
The top score, 453 was two marks down from last year’s top mark, 455 marks, scored by Goldalyn Kakuya.
Nakuru County had the 3rd best candidate with the 2nd highest mark, Asanga Leonard Munayi, from Moi Primary School Kabarak scored 451 marks while the neighboring Naivasha followed in suit with Wanjuki Grace Waithera from Little Friends Junior Academy scored 441 marks.
Makueni County, Kivutha Kibwana’s backyard, was not left behind in the celebrations as Mary Mbinya shone with 443 marks. The highest top scorer candidate amongst those with special needs garnered an impressive 446 marks, just seven marks short of the country’s top mark.
A total of 12,273 students scored 400 marks and above out of the 1,060,703 that sat the exams in the country while 228,414 of the total scored between 300 and 400 marks.
The number of students who scored 400 marks and above this year notably increased by 2,427 more students from 9,846 in 2017 to 12,273 this year.
Candidates who scored 200-300 were 574,927 while 234, 573 candidates scored between 100-200 marks, 2,177 candidates managed 100 marks and below.
Education officials led by CS Amina and Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) CEO George Magoha all guaranteed the credibility.