KUCCPS CEO Dr Mercy Wahome speaking during the release of the 2026-27 placement results at the Edge Convention Centre in South C, Nairobi, July 8, 2026. /MoE
Long regarded as the surest route to prestigious and lucrative careers such as medicine, engineering and information technology, science subjects are steadily losing their dominance as technical disciplines emerge as the strongest performers in Kenya's education system.
An analysis of the 2025 KCSE examination results released by the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) shows that Mathematics, Chemistry and Biology posted some of the weakest performances, with relatively few candidates attaining the minimum university entry grade of C+.
For decades, the subjects have been the preferred pathway for students seeking admission to highly competitive professional courses.
However, the latest results point to a changing trend, with technical subjects recording significantly stronger performance and aligning with the country's growing emphasis on competency-based and skills-oriented education.
While medicine remained one of the most sought-after courses, attracting more than 6,500 applications for only 702 available slots, subject performance data paints a different picture, with science disciplines struggling while technical subjects excelled.
More than 84 per cent of candidates who sat each technical subject attained a C+ and above.
Aviation Technology recorded the best performance, with 95 per cent of candidates scoring C+ and above.
It was followed by Drawing and Design at 93 per cent, Electricity at 90 per cent, Woodwork at 89 per cent, Building and Construction at 85 per cent and Power Mechanics at 84 per cent.
"This aligns very well with the new curriculum, the competency-based one, where we want to see a lot of technical courses undertaken, and the performance looks good," KUCCPS chief executive officer Mercy Wahome said on Wednesday during the release of the placement results at the Edge Convention Centre in South C, Nairobi.
The picture was markedly different in the sciences. Only 13 per cent of candidates who sat Chemistry attained a C+ and above, while Biology recorded 17 per cent.
Mathematics and General Science each recorded only 19 per cent of candidates attaining the minimum grade.
Wahome said the poor performance in science subjects has left many university science programmes with unfilled capacity because thousands of students failed to meet the entry requirements.
The Commission for University Education (CUE) approved a total of 327,157 vacancies in 43 public and 33 private universities for the 2026-27 placement cycle.
"Some capacities will remain unfilled, and a good number of these capacities are in the science subjects," she said.
Wahome singled out Biology as a major concern, citing both poor uptake and weak performance.
Nationally, the subject produced only one A and one A-, while just five candidates attained a B+ and another five a B.
The performance contrasts sharply with Building and Construction, which produced 1,153 As, 216 A-s and 164 B+s.
"Biology has always been one of the challenges because it means we can't get students in Agriculture courses among other STEM courses," Wahome said.
Of the 987,536 candidates who sat the 2025 KCSE examination, only 270,508 attained the minimum university entry grade of C+, representing 27.4 per cent.
The remaining 717,028 candidates, or 72.6 per cent, scored C and below, making them eligible for admission to teacher training colleges and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions.
Overall, 81 per cent of the candidates applied for placement to universities and tertiary institutions.
In this year's placement, the 13th since the establishment of KUCCPS, the agency placed 202,133 students in degree programmes, 28,246 in the Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC), 500 in the Diploma in Law (Paralegal Studies) programme at the Kenya School of Law, 765 at Kenya Utalii College and 875 in secondary teacher training college programmes.
Overall, 293,869 students were placed in degree programmes, Level 6 diploma courses, Level 5 craft certificate courses and Level 4 artisan certificate programmes across universities and other tertiary institutions.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba said 8,915 students who qualified for degree programmes nevertheless opted to pursue diploma and other non-degree programmes.
