Kinango Boys’ High School in Kwale County is set to admit its first cohort of Grade 10 learners under the Competency-Based Education (CBE) system, buoyed by an impressive performance in the 2025 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination.
The strong results have elevated the school’s profile nationally, attracting more than 700 applications from parents seeking admission for their children into Grade 10. The school expects to enroll 474 Grade 10 learners.
Academically, the school has steadily improved its mean score, rising from 2 points to 7 points, with the administration now targeting even higher results in the coming years.
Speaking to journalists at the institution, Chief Principal Mwafungo Siasa said the school is fully prepared to transition into Senior Secondary, citing adequate infrastructure, learning facilities and human resources.
“We have prepared well for the transition to Senior Secondary. The school has sufficient classrooms, laboratories and boarding facilities to comfortably accommodate Grade 10 learners under the new curriculum,” said Siasa.
He attributed the growing confidence in the school to its strong KCSE performance in 2025, which saw a significant increase in the number of candidates attaining university entry grades, marking the best results the institution has recorded in recent years.
He revealed that the school managed to send 227 students to university, up from 115 students the previous year, representing a major improvement in academic performance. According to the principal, only 36 candidates did not attain university entry grades, with just five students recording the lowest grade, a result he described as encouraging.
Following the improved academic outcomes, Kinango Boys’ High School was recently upgraded to national school status, a development Siasa said should be accompanied by an increase in student intake.
“Now that we are a national school, we are requesting the government to consider increasing the number of Grade 10 students allocated to us so that more learners can benefit from the facilities and standards we have put in place,” he added.
Deputy Chairperson of the School Board of Management Safina Kwekwe said the institution has received an overwhelming number of applications from parents across the county and beyond.
“The high number of applications we are receiving shows that parents have confidence in this school and the direction it is taking,” said Kwekwe.
She noted that the school’s improved KCSE results have enhanced its reputation, positioning it as a preferred choice for parents seeking quality education for their children.
Meanwhile, Kwale County Governor Fatuma Achani has congratulated secondary schools in the county that posted strong results in the 2025 KCSE national examination.
In the results, Kwale National Boys’ School emerged top in the Coast region, Matuga National Girls’ School ranked fourth, while Kinango Boys’ High School placed fifth nationally, with 97 per cent of its candidates qualifying for university admission.
Governor Achani attributed the success of Kwale schools to the county government’s Education Now funding programme, which she said has so far supported over 16,000 secondary school students, more than 6,000 university students, and about 16,000 learners in technical colleges, significantly raising education standards in the county.
However, the governor noted that the programme has faced challenges after the Controller of Budget Margaret Nyakang’o halted approval of the Sh500 million bursary fund, arguing that the provision of scholarships falls outside the mandate of county governments.
The roll-out of Senior Secondary under the Competency-Based Education system is expected to transform learning by emphasising skills development, specialisation and clear career pathways.
By Chari Suche
