Brain surgery, death of parents: KCPE candidates who defied odds

Wainana Allan Kimando from Kings Academy scored 400 marks in the 2021 KCPE [Harun Wathari, Standard]

The South Rift region produced top pupils in the 2021 KCPE Examinations results, despite challenges.

Allan Wainaina from Kings Academy in Nakuru scored 400 marks, despite losing his mother to lung cancer in August 2021 and his father to a heart attack in April 2017.

Wainaina couldn’t speak to The Standard as he was away but his sister Ms Catherine Wanjiku shared his story.

“The school management helped him undergo counselling to help him concentrate on his studies.”

Ms Wanjiku said her brother had expected to score 390 marks.

“We have not completed his fees because we have two other siblings who are also in school. The past three years have been tough to us but we have managed,” she said.

Lari Pingano of Kings Academy, the top pupil in the school with 401 marks, had a problem with his right knee.

He told The Standard he had to undergo physiotherapy every Saturday for the condition that started in July 2021.

“When I got to Standard Eight, I started feeling pain in the knee. When I went for a check-up I was told I would need therapy every week.”

Pingano said he hoped to score 420 marks and above but he was still proud of what he managed.

School head teacher Mr Henry Ogada said he did not expect the two to be the top pupils considering the challenges they experienced.

Mr Ogada said the pupils further had to adjust to the pandemic. “We had to reteach what we had already taught when the pupils came back.”

The school had a mean score of 335. 

Meanwhile, at Moi Primary School, two special needs pupils; Oscar Ochieng and Luis Karanja scored 127 and 120 marks respectively.

School head Caroline Chebbe said Ochieng couldn’t write his name and only recognised the letter B in the list of 26 alphabets.

“He has a problem with memory and cannot remember what he learned minutes or hours before,” she said. Karanja was involved in an accident and had to undergo brain surgery that affected his functioning.

“He had difficulties in Composition and Insha. He used to scribble symbols in the two papers. Despite the challenges, the two managed more than 120 marks.”

Chebbe advised parents not to hide pupils with special needs at home, adding that schools should admit and help such pupils excel.