On Thursday, the Education Cabinet Secretary, Ezekiel Machogu, officially announced the release of the 2023 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examination results. 1,406,557 candidates participated in the KCPE exams, while approximately 1.2 million students took the Kenya Primary School Exit Assessment (KPSEA) exams (Grade 6) between October 30 and November 1. This marks the conclusion of the 8-4-4 education system in primary schools.
To access their results, candidates can send their index number followed by the word “KCPE” to the shortcode 40054 via SMS. The service incurs a charge of Kshs 25 per SMS. As an example, if a candidate’s index number is 123456789, they would send “123456789 KCPE” to 40054.
Headteachers can obtain the KCPE results for their respective schools from sub-county education centres. Additionally, they can download and print their students’ results from the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) online portal at www.knec-portal.ac.ke.
Top Candidates in the 2023 KCPE Examination
2023 KCPE Gender Distribution
KCPE examination has improved the achievement of gender parity in the education sector.
From 2013 to 2022, the country achieved near gender parity for male and female candidates. However, in the 2023 KCPE examination, the gender parity slightly shifted in favour of males at 51.30 and females at 48.70. In the early years, gender parity was low.
In the 2023 KCPE examination, there were 1,406 559 candidates; 51.30% were male, and 48.70% were female.
Two hundred twenty-five (225) candidates were allowed to sit the KCPE examination without registration. One hundred forty-five (145) were male, and 80 were female.
Age profile in the 2023 KCPE examination
Ten counties registered more female than male candidates. These are:
| County | Female | Male |
| Mandera | 62.77% | 38.53% |
| Turkana | 57% | 43% |
| Wajir | 46.91% | 43.09% |
| Machakos | 52.79% | 47.21% |
| Nyamira | 52.40% | 47.60% |
| Samburu | 52.39% | 47.61% |
| Baringo | 52.13% | 47.87% |
| Nandi | 52.05% | 47.95% |
| Makueni | 52.03% | 47.9% |
Counties with the highest number of students with age 12 and below:
| County | Percentage |
| Baringo | 7.30% |
| Wajir | 6.37% |
| Bomet | 5.99% |
| Kericho | 5.83% |
| West Pokot | 5.57% |
Candidates aged 13 to 15 years were the majority in the 2023 KCPE examination; one million twenty-three thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine formed 72.31%.
Counties with the highest number of candidates with the age bracket of 18 years and above
| County | Percentage |
| Garissa | 25.8 |
| Turkana | 24.50 |
| Kwale | 16.09 |
| Kilifi | 15.66 |
| Mandera | 33.90 |
Score Summary
| Score | Total number of candidates | Percentage |
| 400-500 Marks | 8,525 | 0.60 |
| 300-399 Marks | 352,782 | 24.92 |
| 200-299 Marks | 650,278 | 48.49 |
| 100-199 Marks | 383,025 | 27.05 |
| 0-99 Marks | 2,060 | 0.15 |
2023 KCPE Top Pupils:
| Name | School | Marks |
| Michael Warutere | Riara Springs Academy | 428 |
| Emmaculate Wacheke | Gilgil Hills Academy | 427 |
| Jacinta Bethany Kshasungu | St Anne’s Girls Primary School | 427 |
| Ochola Felix Omondi | Rae Kanyika Primary School | 426 |
| Khadija Hamid | Light Academy | 426 |
| Debra Aluel | Ndima Kanini Academy | 425 |
| Muchoki Rosemary Ndula | Pen-Elite Primary | 424 |
| Rotich Jeremy Kipnge’eno | Moi Educational Centre | 424 |
| George Kipkoech Mutai | St.Bakhita School Sahaki | 423 |
| Talisha Wambui Nasong’o | Rophine Field Group of Schools | 423 |
| Oinya Vailent Akinyi | Gilgil Hills Academy | 423 |
| Philp Junior | St.Anselm Mururi Boarding School | 423 |
| Orina Okumu Felix | St.Andres Kaggwa Boys | 423 |
| Maraquilla Nyamasege | Imperial Primary School | 423 |
| Samson Kinara | Imperial Primary School | 423 |
| Kiroo Hannah Wamaitha | Pen-Elite Primary | 422 |
| Tumaini Makena Kathenya | Rophine Field Group of Schools | 422 |
| Emmanuel Murimi | St.Anselm Mururi Boarding School | 422 |
| Omboga Matonda | St.Andrew Kaggwa Boys | 422 |
| Kevin Gitau | St.Peters Primary School.Limuru | 421 |
| Ngunjiru Daniel Kinuthia | The Daniel School,Syokimau | 421 |
| Natalia Nasimiyu | Citam Schools, Woodley | 421 |
| Mark Daniel | The Daniel School | 421 |
| Kibe Teresa Wanjiru | Pen-Elite Primary | 421 |
| Gichuki Elena Natasha | Pen-Elite Primary | 421 |
| Mitch Kamwaki Mutemi | Rophine Field Group of Schools | 421 |
| Elon Kimutai | Sally-Ann School | 421 |
| Langat Janice Chepkoech | Moi Educational Centre | 421 |
| Sande Amal Hawa | Lakewood Komarocks | 421 |
| Ian Kipkorir Langat | Mercy Boarding Sotik | 421 |
| Marita Lucy Nyabonyi | Precious Hope School | 421 |
| Gabbie Mariah Mbuthia | St.Mathews Learning Centre | 421 |
| Lewis Mwangi Maina | St.Mathews Learning Centre | 421 |
| Stella Kanini Mutinda | St.Mathews Learning Centre | 421 |
| Muthoni Jason Muhoro | Elite Heritage School | 421 |
| Valerie Chemutai | St.Mary’s Day Mixed Primary School | 421 |
| Migael Imbale | Mwimbi Boarding Primary School | 421 |
| Myles Mbugua | Little Friends Academy Naivasha | 421 |
| Andre Oriku Oigara | Imperial Primary School | 421 |
| Mbithi Faiza Nganga | Lily Academy, Githurai | 420 |
| Otieno Shanelle Akinyi | Tender Care Junior Academy | 420 |
| Boro Francis Karanja | Pen-Elite Primary | 420 |
| Lincoln Gaya Mbago | Rophine Field Group of Schools | 420 |
| Ariana Njuhi Gituku | Rophine Field Group of Schools | 420 |
| Tracey Gitare Oruru | Rophine Field Group of Schools | 420 |
| Hope Wangui | Lily Academy, Githurai | 420 |
| Gift Kipruto Cheruiyot | Sally-Ann School | 420 |
| Bethwel Kipkorir | Eldoret Achievers School | 420 |
| Odhiambo Ronald Otieno | Lakewood Komarocks | 420 |
To ensure that no candidates fail to join Form 1 in January 2023, the Ministry of Education will organize a special examination for candidates who did not sit the 2022 KCPE because of exceptional circumstances. The two subjects, English Language, Composition and Kenyan sign language, improved in the year 2023 compared with the year 2022, while Science, Social Studies and Religious Education recorded a slight drop in performance in the year 2023 compared to the year 2022.
Regarding gender, male and female performance was comparable in Social Studies and Religious Education. However, female candidates performed slightly better than their male counterparts in English, Swahili and Kenya Sign Language.
Male candidates performed slightly better than their female counterparts in Mathematics and Sciences.
Malpractices
Only two (2) candidates cheated in the 2023 KCPE examination.
More about KCPE
The first minister to release KCPE results was Peter Oloo Aringo in 1985. Candidates who took the first KCPE exam in 1985 at the age of 14 years are now 53 years old. Since 1985, 26 million sixty-seven thousand one hundred eighty-one (26,067,181) candidates have been examined. Therefore, some individuals who took the KCPE exam in 1985 are now senior professionals in various fields.