MOMBASA County – Jan 10, 2025- The 2025 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) results for the Coast region offer a mixed picture of progress, promise, and underperformance. While some schools are steadily climbing the ladder of excellence, others-historically well-known-appear to have gone silent.
Kwale High School led the pack with a mean score of 9.3 (B), followed by Kenyatta High School at 8.518 (B) and Mama Ngina Girls High School at 8.2 (B-). Schools like Matuga Girls, Kinango Boys, Bura Girls, and Bahari Girls all posted respectable B- grades, signaling consistent performance.
Meanwhile, Shimo la Tewa, Ribe Boys, and St. Mary’s High School in Lushangonyi scored between 7.43 and 6.867 (C+), showing that some institutions still face challenges in reaching higher standards.
Kwale, Mombasa, Kilifi, and Taita Taveta counties are clearly competing well, yet there remains room to raise the bar, especially when neighboring counties like Lamu and Tana River appear to be in deep slumber.
Amid these mixed results, some schools are showing signs of revival. Ribe Boys High School, for example, rose from 0 As in 2024 to 4 As in 2025, reflecting a steady improvement under committed leadership. Similarly, Kinango Boys is gradually catching up, suggesting that progress is possible when resources, systems, and motivation align.
However, there are “sleeping giants” that continue to underperform despite their reputation. In Kilifi County alone, schools such as Malindi High School, Ribe Girls, St. Georges Kaloleni, and St. Johns Girls are yet to reclaim their former glory. The questions linger: is there leadership, inadequate resources, low motivation, or weak systems challenge?
Education stakeholders argue that addressing these gaps requires strategic interventions, including investment in teacher development, infrastructure, learning resources, and school governance systems. Parents, communities, and county education offices must also play their part in restoring these schools to competitive form.
“The results are encouraging in some schools, but they also highlight areas where we must focus more attention,” notes Mombasa KUPPET Executive Secretary Lynett Kamada. “Reviving a school’s performance takes time, committed leadership, and consistent support from all stakeholders.”
As the Coast region reflects on these results, the message is clear: progress is possible, but complacency is costly. The rising stars deserve recognition, the sleeping giants demand action, and the entire region must ask itself: where is the problem—and how do we fix it?
The 2025 KCSE season is not just a report card; it is a call to action for communities, educators, and policymakers to collaborate, innovate, and ensure that every school in the Coast region can rise to its potential.
