Man jailed for 30 years scores 403 in KCPE

Solomon Ngatia a convict serving 30 years’ jail term at Nakuru GK Prisons scored 403 marks in the just released Kenya Certificate of Primary Education results.

Ngatia, 37, was convicted in 2012 for attempted murder charge.

The father of two and a class seven dropout from Nyeri said he went on a drinking spree at a pub in Nakuru when a fight occurred. Unfortunately, his friend died. He was in Nakuru to seek a job.

He was among the 19 candidates who sat for the examinations at the facility.

The Standard caught up with him at the facility yesterday. Overwhelmed with joy, he said he is yet to believe what he scored.

“I am happy, this however is beyond my expectation, despite the condition here I managed to emerge the best,” he said.

Teachers at the facility he said contributed a lot towards his success.

He wishes he will be accorded time to pursue secondary school education and achieve his dream of being a doctor.

He reveals that his success in KCPE is a beginning of a new life.

Ngatia scored 90 in English, Kiswahili 96, Mathematics 68, Science 68 and Social Studies 81.

John Wanjiku, 22 from Elburgon a convict serving two years’ imprisonment scored 348.

Wanjiku faced a charge of breaking-in and stealing. He said his aim was to score 400 but failed to attain.

Paul Nyanchoka, the Prisons in-charge Education described Ngatia as his best student.

“He has been good regardless of the sentence he is obedient and self-driven he could gather other students and together do discussion,” said Nyanchoka.

He said as an institution they were happy of the results and efforts by the candidates as compared to last year this year’s results were much higher.

Six students had 300 and above marks while seven had attained two hundred and above marks.

Last year they had a mean of 225 while this year a mean of 255. 15 was attained.

He said they experience lots of challenges as a school and department, they however soldier on.

“We have congestion in school but we don't tire from soldiering on,” he said.

The school he said lack learning materials and classrooms, the exiting classrooms are small. A single class of 20 according to the in charge accommodates over 40 learners. They depend on donations from schools and wee-wishers as there are funds from the government to aid learning in the prisons.

The facility also has a primary but have no secondary section.

Nakuru GK Prison Deputy in-charge John Kisiang'ani said they expect more from their learners as time goes.

Learners at the facility spend only three hours with their teachers.

Currently there are 178 learners all the way from class one to class seven.

Only four teachers attend to the learners.