MOMBASA County-Jan 10, 2026 – Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Secondary School has once again affirmed its position as one of the Coast region’s most consistent academic performers, following an outstanding showing in the 2025 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations.
The Mombasa-based institution posted an impressive mean score of 9.6415, producing 17 A plains, 50 A-minus, 49 B-plus, 46 B, 36 B-minus, and 14 C-plus grades. All 212 candidates attained grades of C+ and above, translating into a 100 per cent university transition rate — a milestone few public schools achieve nationally.
Improvement built on consistency
While the 2025 results attracted national attention, school administrators note that the performance was not accidental. The results represented a clear improvement from the 2024 KCSE outcomes, where the school recorded a mean score of 9.01 and produced four A grades, underscoring a trajectory of sustained academic growth rather than a one-off success.
According to principal Sheikh Rishard Rajab, the school had deliberately set targets of achieving a mean score of 9.5 and full university transition — both of which were surpassed.
“The results exceeded our performance over the past two years. This success came from clear planning, discipline, and teamwork,” he said.
Education experts often point out that sustained excellence in national examinations is rarely driven by student ability alone. At Sheikh Khalifa, the results reflect a deliberate system built around teacher commitment, structured academic planning, and disciplined learning culture.
Teachers reportedly spent extended hours conducting remedial lessons, supervising evening preps, and closely tracking individual student progress. The school’s management and board of trustees also played a key role in ensuring stability, adequate learning resources, and accountability across departments.
Beyond academics, the school invested in life-skills programmes, bringing in academic mentors and motivational speakers to help students manage exam pressure and build confidence — a factor increasingly recognized as critical in high-stakes examinations.
A model for public schools.
Located along the Mombasa-Malindi Highway, Sheikh Khalifa Secondary was established in 1985 as a goodwill initiative between the governments and people of Kenya and the United Arab Emirates. Over the decades, it has evolved into a benchmark institution whose performance raises important questions about what is possible within public education when leadership, discipline, and planning align.
As celebrations filled the school compound following the release of results on January 9, 2026, teachers and parents lifted top performers- including Mohamed Hassan Aziz and Abdulghafur Issa Timamy, both A-grade achievers-in scenes that captured the emotional payoff of years of structured effort.
The results were released at AIC Chebisaas High School in Eldoret, where Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba announced that 993,226 candidates sat the 2025 KCSE examinations nationwide, with more than 270,000 qualifying for direct university entry.
Within Mombasa, other Muslim-sponsored institutions, including Memon High School, Qubaa Academy, and Istiqama Academy, also posted commendable performances, pointing to a broader culture of academic competitiveness in the county.
Lessons beyond Sheikh Khalifa.
Sheikh Khalifa’s continued success offers valuable lessons for schools across the Coast region and beyond: that clear targets, disciplined learning environments, motivated teachers, and strong institutional leadership remain central to consistent KCSE performance.
In a national education system often marked by sharp performance disparities, the school’s trajectory demonstrates that excellence can be sustained – not by chance, but by design.
