The release of the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams is often a tensed affair but for the top candidates, it is the beginning of a lush and prosperous career.
Kenyans.co.ke previously profiled the successful careers by five of those individuals who emerged top in their respective careers.
In our continuing profiling of former best students, we have tracked down five additional top performers who exemplified the phrase 'hard work pays.' and have achieved success since emerging victorious.
Here is the list:
1. Kirimania Muriithi
When KCSE results were released in 1994, Kirimania Muriithi emerged top in what he later observed that 'No one ever got the marks I did'.
The then student of Alliance High School was admitted to the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) where he received a degree in electrical engineering and computer science.
"He arrived at 77 Massachusetts Ave. in 1995 with two pairs of pants, a shirt, a T-shirt and no sense of what to expect. The food made him sick, the climate did not agree with him, he could not understand the professors, there were no other Kenyan students," reads a profile of him on the MIT website.
In 2001, he landed a job as a Software Engineer at Mercury Systems Inc, rising to become the Senior Principal Engineer.
He now works as the Principal Digital Hardware Engineer at MITRE, a solutions Company in Bedford.
2. Martin Mbaya
Martin Mbaya's future opened up in 1995 after he emerged the top candidate in that year's KCSE examinations and attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to study mechanical engineering with concentration in Japanese.
In 2006, he proceeded to Harvard University for a Master in Public Policy (MPP) degree touching on International Trade Finance. The programme is a rigorous two-year program that prepares students both to understand complex problems and to craft concrete solutions.
He co-founded the Nairobi Capital Inc. to offer working capital loans and business know-how to qualified small businesses in Africa. He still runs the company to date.
He is also an investor in Litemore Limited and serves as the Director of Executive Education at the Strathmore Institute of Public Policy and Governance.
3. Paul K Njoroge
A bright candidate at Starehe Boys Center, Paul K Njoroge was named the top candidate in 1996 KCSE and joined the Massachussets Institute of Technology (MIT) to study Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.
In 2001, he was also among the students who won the prestigious Rhodes Scholarships to study at the Oxford University in England.
He later returned to MIT for his PhD in Electrical Engineering and specialised in network economics.
"He is one of the co-founders of AITI (the precursor to Global Startup Labs). He has a general interest in the application of ICT and mobile technology in developing countries," reads his profile on MIT.
4. Mwashuma Nyatta
In 1997, Mwashuma Nyatta emerged the overall top candidate in the national examinations and secured a slot at Harvard University to study Bachelors of Economics.
In 2004, he won the Rhodes Scholarship to study at Oxford University.
Since graduating, he has had stints in various companies including Kavak.com, Lemonade and Endeavor. He still sits on the boards of the two companies.
Nyatta also serves as SoftBank's representative on a number of boards of companies across multiple industries, including technology, communications, and financial services.
He is a Managing Partner at Soft Bank Group International.
5. Humphrey Wattanga
Humphrey Wattanga was the top candidate in 1990 and secured a slot at the University of Nairobi. His academics were, however, scuttled due to frequent strikes.
He landed a slot at the prestigious Harvard University to study Biochemistry and later MBA in Information Systems Strategy and Economics and Healthcare Management at The Wharton School.
Upon graduation, he landed a job as a Marketing Manager at Agillion before ascending to AT&T /SBC Communications as its Business Development Manager.
Now, he is a senior partner at AFCORP Investments where he joined in 2003.
