Why KCSE superstars are headed west.

By now, the dust on KCSE results has settled and few people remember even remember the names of the top stars. However, just a week after the release of the KCSE results, some 400 medical students held a demonstration demanding to be posted. The medical student graduates are through their studies and want to be posted. The Health ministry is awaiting some 400 Million shillings or thereabouts in order to post them. These were the same students that appeared on TV screens with joy as they let the nation know their ambitions of becoming a doctor. This is perhaps; some students have given the local employment scene a wide berth. Such students get the basic education in Kenya and receive the advanced education and professional refinement in the west. I just did a couple of Google searches on the guys who topped KCSE in the 1990s and the 2000s.

A simple Google search on top student in KCSE 1989, Naeem Samnakay (Alliance High School), reveals that he went to Australia to pursue medical studies.

A search on the top student in 1990, Fred Were, from Starehe, reveals that he went to the US for further studies and is a now a medical researcher there.

A search on Gilbert Tengetta, from Mang’u High School and top student in 1992,

reveals that he went to the US to pursue engineering studies where he is up to date. Similarly ,some of the other top students went to various western universities.

They include:

-Kirimani Murithi-(Read about Kirimania Murithi's story here)Alliance High School-MIT.

Timothy Thairu-Alliance High school(KCSE 1998)- Harvard

Samuel Gikandi(KCSE)1999-Alliance High school-MIT.

Dhar Tishampati (KCSE 2000) –Mang’u High school –University of Adelaide- I remember attending the mang’u Math’s contest and the guy basically got 29 out of 30 while the next one had 14. Anyone who has participated in the Mang’u Math’s contest knows how difficult those quizzes are.

Amit Monga- Starehe Boys center-(KCSE 2001)–McGill University

Hillary Mucheru-(Nguviu Boys)KCSE 2001-Harvard

Isaac Nyang’olo –(Mang’u)KCSE 2001-Harvard

Paul Bundi(kenyakine High school), the top student in our year(2002) was actually the first KCSE top student to study in the country. Enrolled at UON for medical degree. The main reason could be that he came from a lesser known school and did not know how to apply to some of the universities in the west.

James Kandie Rotich-Moi High school kabarak-MIT

Some of the other students without remembering the years that they left high school include:

-Zawadi Lemayian (Read Zawadi Lemayian's story here) –Alliance Girls High school-MIT

-Paul K Njoroge –(Read Paul K Njoroge's story here)Starehe Boys Center-Who went to MIT before becoming a become a Rhodes scholar.

-Wanjiku Mungai-Precious Blood Girls-Harvard(Currently a freshman)

-John Kimani kamau (Read John Kimani's Harvard student's blog)–Nairobi School-Harvard (Currently a freshman)
-Anthony Mabonga-Alliance High School- Currently at Harvard

-Brian Oduor -Alliance High school-Yale Graduate student

-Dennis Okumu Ouma-Alliance High school- MIT-who completed his undergraduate through PhD in just eight years.he has several engineering patents.
-Irene Murimi -MIT
-Martin Mbaya-Alliance High School-MIT/Harvard
Given that this is just a small sample, how many students could actually have left? Your guess is as good as mine. Of course, some will start proclaiming about patriotism but in the current globalized world, competition for talent is stiff and talented people will move to areas where they feel their skills are appreciated. equally important, such universities as Harvard have huge endowments and our local universities may be unable to compete for the KCSE cream. Such students get full scholarships and a return ticket which they are unwilling to use to come back to their home countries. Thus, do not be surprised when last years top boy Albert Wandui kamau and top girl Mwangasha Lydia katini follow the same trends.