Moi Girls Eldoret Top Candidate Ashley Achieng Speaks After Scoring A Plain: "Ni God Tu"

• Moi Girls High School's top KCSE student, Ashley Achieng, has been among the best candidates from her first year to the fourth, ending up with an A
• Achieng stated that the KCSE exams were challenging and demanded students think critically to give comprehensive answers
• Kelvin Kosgei, her class teacher, stated that they expected the 18-year-old to perform better than she did because she had always proved that she could

Nancy Odindo, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings more than three years of experience covering politics, news, and feature stories across digital and print media in Kenya.

Joy and celebration erupted in Brighton Miser's family as his eldest daughter, Ashley Achieng, achieved remarkable success in the 2023 KCSE examinations.

How did Ashley perform in 2023 KCSE exam?

Achieng, 18, was a student at Moi Girls Eldoret and secured an impressive score of A, reflecting her academic excellence at Awasi Hills View Academy, where she left with 428 marks.

Achieng scored an A in mathematics, physics, chemistry, geography, and business studies, an A- in English and biology, and a B+ in Kiswahili.

In an interview with TUKO.co.ke, she disclosed that she was perplexed upon realising the score, which exceeded her expectations.

"I expected to excel, but not that high. I would say that it was the handwork of God and hard work.

Her father echoed her sentiments, expressing that they anticipated her success, although not to such an extraordinary extent.

Miser revealed that he was taken aback when he received the message from KNEC while at work and on duty, preventing him and his wife from celebrating with her immediately.

Despite their patience, they eventually met her later in the evening, and upon breaking the news to her, she couldn't help but cry.

"Checking her results while I was at work brought happiness, but I composed myself. My wife, although overjoyed, was also occupied at her duty post in Nyando. When I shared the news with my daughter, she became so emotional that she cried. At home, my mother and her siblings joined in the celebration, and we are planning a more elaborate appreciation for her over the weekend," Miser revealed.

Was she an ever-smart student?

Nonetheless, Achieng's teachers held a contrasting view. According to her class teacher, Kelvin Kosgei, Achieng's success was not only anticipated but, at some juncture, they even expected higher results.

"Her performance didn't come as a surprise to us as we had expected even higher achievements. She has demonstrated a consistent level of excellence since her first year. Even when she temporarily dropped from the first position, she consistently secured a spot within the top 10," he remarked.

He added:

"According to the analysis, she is the best student in her class and also in Moi Girls. She is our top candidate."

Looking back at her academic achievements, the young lady consistently delivered exemplary results, hinting at a promising future.

She shared that across all seven streams in her form school, she maintained a record of not scoring below a B. Moreover, her academic standing has consistently ranked between one and ten since she first entered Form One.

Which course would you want to pursue?

The humble student revealed that she is yet to decide on her preferred course but is contemplating pursuing either engineering or a medical programme, possibly at the University of Nairobi or Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology.

While harbouring hopes for an international scholarship, her parents have provided her with the necessary time to finalise her choice of course and university, guaranteeing unwavering support to help her achieve her dreams.

"Right now, I am researching the course to study. My dad has been wanting me to pursue medicine for a long time, but I am still weighing. I have been thinking of an engineering course too at UoN or JKUAT," she said.

"She has not yet decided on which school to go to, but as parents, we will give her the best, whether locally or abroad," added her father.

Exams were challenging, claims Achieng

Reflecting on the exams, Achieng conceded their difficulty, stressing the importance of thorough preparation and commitment.

Despite achieving an A in the challenging geography paper, she noted its complexity. However, in Kiswahili, Achieng attained a B+, a grade that she expected to be high.

"Geography posed more challenges, requiring extensive application. I didn't anticipate an A, but I'm grateful to God for it. The result in Kiswahili surprised me because, in comparison to English where I scored an A-, Kiswahili was a bit easier.

Most questions came from the previous forms, so those who were not conversant with the topics found them hard. It needed one to be smart," Achieng shared.

KCSE released at Moi Girls High School

The KCSE results were released at Moi Girls High School on Monday, January 8.

Expressing delight and optimism, her school principal, Juliana Kirui, stated that the event was an ambush but hoped that the school performed well.

"On behalf of the school, we are happy that this happened in our school, and we hope our students did well because we prepared them well, and God is on our side. I am proud of our teachers for ensuring everything works smoothly, from disciplining to teaching students," Kirui said.