Nairobi — Alliance School dethroned Starehe Boys Centre to claim top honours in Form Four examinations released yesterday.

The Top overall girl, Bahati Girls' Mary Wanjiku Nderitu, is carried high by her parents, Mr and Mrs Samuel Nderitu yesterday

But Starehe, which is still recovering from the death of its founder, Dr Geoffrey Griffin, in the middle of last year, slipped only one rank below to settle at the second slot.

The fine result showed that the Griffin spirit continued to guide the school, which was founded to help students from poor backgrounds nearly half a century ago.

It took Alliance School, the premier national school started in the 1920s, 15 years once more to top the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations list.

The last time it was first was in 1991.

Alliance, under veteran schoolmaster Chris Khaemba, obtained a mean score of 10.526, while Starehe had 10.447.

"We are humbled by the results but it shows that determination and commitment eventually pays," said Mr Khaemba.

The top candidate nationally was Rotich James Kandie of Kabarak, who scored 85.00, followed by Ogutu Byron of Alliance with 84.143 and Wanjala Caca Sifuna, another Alliance product, who had 83.00.

Top female candidate was Mary Wanjiku Nderitu of Bahati Girls, who had a performance index of 82.714, followed by Elizabeth Gitau of Moi Girls, with 81.714. The third was Jackline Chepkirui Koech, also of Bahati, who had 81.143.

In the school rankings, Kianda and Precious Blood, Riruta, run by Catholic sisters, were in positions three and four, each having a mean score of 10.3000 and 10.2413 respectively.

Kianda was ranked first among private schools while Precious Blood was tops among provincial institutions.

For Precious Blood Riruta, this was a major improvement, having slipped to sixth position in 2004, then with a performance index of 9.9662.

Sunshine of Nairobi, which is associated with retired President Moi, was ranked fifth followed in the sixth slot by Kenya High, which also did pretty well compared to the past.

Nakuru's Bahati Girls, also run by Catholic sisters, continued its good performance, ranking seventh and so was Friends' Kamusinga, which at position eight, reinforced the fact that it is a perennial top performer.

Another of Mr Moi's schools, Kabarak, was ninth and was followed Bishop Gatimu, Ngandu, of Nyeri, position 10.

In 2004, it was Starehe at the helm, followed by Strathmore and Alliance School.

Others among the top 10 that year in order were Bahati Girls, Friends' Kamusinga, Precious Blood Riruta, Bishop Gatimu Ngandu, Kianda School, Mary Mother of Grace Boys Secondary School and Lugulu Girls.

This time round, there were at least four girls schools among the top 10.

Releasing the results in Nairobi, acting Education minister Noah Wekesa, was upbeat about improved performance in a number of subjects.

"I am happy to note that candidates' performance improved in 14 (43.75 per cent) subjects out of 32 offered," he said.

"However, there was drop in performance in 12 (37.50 per cent) subjects and I have asked my officers to work with the exam council to find out the factors that contributed to the drop in performance for the 12 subjects and address them accordingly," he said.

Present at the ceremony were assistant ministers Kilemi Mwiria and Beth Mugo and permanent secretary Karega Mutahi, plus other top ministry officials.

The results were handed over to him by the chairman of the Kenya National Examinations Council, Prof Raphael Munavu, and the secretary, Mr Paul Wasanga.

For the first time, the exams results were immediately put on the council's and Education minister's websites, a practice that is now common in Uganda and Tanzania.

Giving highlights of performance among key subjects, Dr Wekesa said there were 554 candidates who scored A in English, 2,122 in Kiswahili, 3,644 in mathematics, 4,216 in biology, 3,062 in physics and 7,116 in chemistry.

But the worry continued in regard to gender and regional performance.

Other than economics, woodwork, art and design, the girls only did better than boys in subjects that are traditionally their domain - English, Kiswahili, history and religious education, home science, and music.

For woodwork, girls' superlative performance came about because only a few of them did the subject and with it is easy for them to get higher mean grade even if the grades are not very good.

"In regard to the disparities in performance, we shall continue to develop strategies aimed at ensuring gender parity," explained the minister.

Similarly, only schools from a few regions - Nairobi, Central and Rift Valley - continued dominating the top berths.

Some regions like North Eastern, Nyanza, Western and Coast had fewer representation at the top.

Nyanza, for example, had only two schools among the 20 nationally. They were Maseno at number 18 and Rapogi at 19.

Western had only Friends' Kamusinga in that bracket and so was Coast, which was represented by Abuhereira Academy, and Eastern - Precious Blood, Kilungu. North Eastern did not feature in that league.

Part of the reason for this disparity is the presence of many national schools in Nairobi and Central and also establishment of good provincial schools in the Rift Valley during the Moi administration.

Under Mr Moi, a number of schools, particularly for girls, were developed in Nairobi to become model institutions and have since continued to do well. These include Pangani Girls, which had the highest enrolment in the exams, 284, and emerged in position 11.

Regionally, Friends' Kamusinga, Maseno and Rapogi were the toast of Western.

Friends' Kamusinga, sponsored by the Quakers, was ranked sixth overall, while Maseno School, whose fortunes have changed dramatically under Mr Paul Otula in the past four years, was ranked 18th, and Rapogi was 19th.

Other schools from the region in the national list of honour, were Ober from South Nyanza, which was ranked 23, Lugulu Girls 26, Maranda 32, Kitale Boys 37, Kanga 42, Kisii School 64 and Agoro Sare 73.

The best candidate in the region was from Maseno, Owiti Joshua Ombwayo, who obtained a mean grade of 81.00 and followed by Ogollah Harrison Omondi of Homa Bay who had 79.521 and Ochome Paul Owaa of Rapogi with 79.286.

The best girl in the province was Ruth Akoth Okoth of Asumbi, who was in position 36 with 74.143 and Momanyi Kemunto Esther who was 103 of Sironga Girls with 71.857.

In Western Province, it was Onchong'a Carolyne of Lugulu Girls at the helm with 80.00 and followed by Lugulu Secondary's Musibi Wafula Felix, who had 79.857.

At the Coast, Allidina Visram of Mombasa was ranked the second best district school nationally.

Two private schools at the Coast, Abhuereira Academy and Sheikh Khalifa, were ranked among the top 10 private schools countrywide.

Sheikh Khalifa also produced the top candidate in the province - Saleh Taher Mohammed, who obtained a mean score of 81.429.