Student almost missed national test due to illness

Henry Madaga from Maranda High School celebrates with his friends and relatives at Chichwa market in Kisumu county. He was position 8 nationally in 2020 KCSE. (Collins Oduor, Standard)

Towards the end of 2020, Henry Madaga was down with complications related to ulcers.

He spent a number of weeks on treatment to the point of contemplating missing out on the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examination. But yesterday, Madaga, 18, was all smiles as Education CS George Magoha read his name as one of the top performers, after he scored an A plain, and emerged the eighth best countrywide.

The first-born in a family of five, who wants to become a doctor, was at his uncle’s clothes’ shop in Kisumu when the results were released.

The alumnus of Maranda High School said: “I did not know I would manage to sit the examination. The sickness put me down, but I thank God I overcome it.”

When The Standard caught up with him at the shop in Chichwa Market, he still appeared weak.

Persistence kept him going, he said, adding that he would like to join the University of Nairobi.

Paul Kaunda, who was Madaga’s head teacher at Kosau Primary in Kisumu County, was elated by the performance. Madaga was Kosau’s best in the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education.

“He didn’t have school fees to join Form One, and we asked the then Maranda principal to admit him,” Kaunda said.