Gideon Maina scored 423 marks in KCPE exams to emerge the best student in Coast.
Maina, of Mwatate Junior Preparatory Academy in Taita Taveta County, hopes to join Alliance Boys High School. Maina, 14, aspires to be an accountant.
Muhammad Hassan of Aga Khan Primary School in Mombasa was the second best student in the region with 423 marks.
“I was sitting in the house with other family members when the Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i read out this year’s KCPE results. I later sent a message through my phone and found out that I scored 423 marks. I did not know that I would be the best candidate in Taita-Taveta County and in Coast region,” said Gideon.
“I am happy to be the best candidate in Coast region and I am expecting to join Alliance Boys. The good results came as a surprise to me and the family,” said the last born in a family of three children.
Gideon’s mother Margaret Maina and the school’s Principal George Kamau could not hide their joy after receiving the results.
“My son has done us proud and it is through hard work and discipline that he has excelled in the examinations,” said Ms Maina. Mr Kamau said the student had consistently demonstrated his abilities at the school.
“We are happy that the boy has performed well in the KCPE examination. This is a reflection of his hard work, determination and discipline,” said the principal.
Muhammad told The Standard on Saturday that he does not want to join a public secondary school.
“I thank my parents, my teachers and Allah for the results and I will decide in future what I want to do in life but definitely I will join a good secondary school but not a public national school,” he said.
His mother Tahia Taslim said: “So far I am happy with the results and I thank the school management. I will let my son decide what he wants to do in life. I am not the kind of parent to force a child to do what I want.”
Nickson Munene of Light Academy in Mombasa, who scored 420 marks, attributed his success to hard work, prayers, the conducive environment for learning at the school.
“We were even allowed to research on the internet which helped especially when I needed to extensively research on a subject,” he said.
Light Academy’s deputy headmaster Joseph Mwambure attributed the good results to hard work by teachers and the students.
“We had a programme that targeted the weak and focused our energies on working as a group,” he said.
Alvin Mwaringa Gullani of the same school scored 403 marks.
Ganjoni Primary School produced the best girl at the Coast. Angela Jaden scored 419 marks and was followed by Zainab Zaiddun of Aga Khan Primary with 415 marks.
Mwakaba John Mwakuwona of Ganjoni scored 411 while Edna Omae, Noorow Belqaase Hassan and Jeremiah Ndunda of Nyali Primary School scored 415, 412 and 400 marks respectively.
Angela’s mother Mary Odembo was not surprised by her performance because “she is self-driven, hardworking and God fearing since she joined kindergarten.”
She said although she expected to perform well she did not know she would be the best at her school.
“I hope to join Alliance Girls and later university to pursue my dream of being a neurosurgeon,” she said.
Alex Kalama of Redeemed Academy in Ukunda scored 420 marks to emerge the top student at the school.
“I attribute my success to God, parents, teachers and friends who helped me. I now know that hard work pays,” he said.
Alex revealed that he often read late into the night. Teachers said he was always among the top three students in his class. His mother Naomi Wanjiku was not surprised by her son’s good performance.
“My child has been a disciplined, hardworking student. I haven’t had any problem with him because he is well organised,” she said. The second best girl in Coast, Laureen Akoth of St Mercy Academy, scored 417 marks.
Ouma Cliff Kerry of Edward Kings Academy in Jomvu, Mombasa scored 419 marks. He attributed his success to discipline and prayers.
