The paper analyzes grade six pupil math and reading test scores from SACMEQ, an international education quality enhancement initiative involving fifteen countries of East and Southern Africa.

Employs a difference in differences analytical framework, and finds significantly reduced importance of socioeconomic background as a school choice determinant after the introduction of Free Primary Education in Kenya.

Pupil test scores are strongly associated with both teacher effort and community engagement in schools, suggesting a need for improved school leadership effectiveness.