Identical twins top examination chart to maintain their closeness

Materi Girls High School students lift Brenda Kinya Kaaria (right) and Linda Gatwiri Kaaria (left) to celebrate their performance after they topped Tharaka Nithi County in KCSE exams. [PHOTO: PEACE LOISE MBAE/STANDARD]

By PEACELOISE MBAE

Kenya: The identical twins were inseparable even in class.

But what has confounded their former classmates and the entire Tharaka Nithi County is their feat of jointly leading the pack in the just released Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination.

Brenda Kinya Kaaria and Linda Gatwiri Kaaria were the best female candidates in the expansive county.

On Wednesday, it was shouts of joy at Materi Girls High School where the twins and their former classmates celebrated the feat.

Born 18 years ago in Kirua location in Meru, the two are no ordinary girls.

The identical twins both attained A- of 82 points, having differed with 0.047 points.

They have been competing since they were in primary school, as their mother Stella Kaaria told The Standard Wednesday.

The two are really identical and, without their different dressing and hairstyle, it would be difficult to distinguish them.

Dressed in a checked blouse, blue jeans and black doll shoes, Brenda Kinya who narrowly beat her sister is the soft-spoken and older by a few minutes.

In a purple jumper, green top, blue jeans and black doll shoes is Linda Gatwiri, who is more talkative.

During an interview in the principal’s office, one could not fail to feel the bond between the twins, smiling the same way and even having identical voices.

“We have always been together since we were young and we would like to remain that way even in the university,” Gatwiri responds when asked if they get bored of being together.

The two said they would both like to pursue Economics and Statistics at the University of Nairobi.

“Although I am interested in medicine too, we agreed to do the course since we like it and it will keep us together,” Kinya says.

The girls said they have really relied on each other to get to where they are. The twins have been study partners helping one another.

Their hobbies

During the interview, we tried to find out if they are any different in character by asking what hobbies they like and the response was still the same. Both girls love football, netball and reading.

“My girls attained 394 and 387 marks in KCPE and wanted to repeat in order to attain 400 marks but I believed they would do well so I brought them to Materi,” Mrs Kaaria said.

Their mother says to her surprise, the two continued to excel and compete at very close ranges.

Kaaria, who is an accountant at Ruiri Thau Water Association, says her children love education so much it surprises her.

“The most interesting thing about the two is that they prefer I buy them a book rather than a dress or shoes,” she says smiling.

Their mother says Kinya takes the lead in doing things at home.

“Kinya loves chores than Gatwiri, who only joins in when her sister has already begun doing the work,” she said.

“They are a blessing from God. They are patient, kind, polite and have never given me any headache,” she said.

School Principal Sebastian Mbae said the girls had high discipline.

“The girls are totally humble and obedient and I believe this has played a big part in helping them achieve the good results they got,” Mr Mbae said.

Mbae, who is the longest serving staff in the school having joined in 1980, has been top of his game and has led the school to position one in the county.

“When we took the girls in Form One, we had high expectations and are glad they have done the school proud,” Mbae said.

Mbae attributes his success to teamwork, determination and hard work.