Nairobi girl and boy top KCPE exam

A step a day towards my goal, grounded on prayer and hard work.

That was the guiding principle of Christine Muthoni Kagiri on the days leading up to this year’s Kenya Certificate of Primary Education.

Her secret to success which saw her become the top girl nationally, she added, was a mastery of both language and mathematics, blended with a positive attitude.

“I focused on completing my assignments every day and reading my notes keenly,” Christine told the Nation in an interview at her city school, Tender Care Junior Academy in Komarock Sector 3A. “Hard work pays,” she said.

At that precise moment, hard work was making one boy remain momentarily speechless, even as his parents, teachers and neighbours sang songs in his praise at the Moi Educational Centre located in Nairobi West.

Martin Irungu was trying to come to terms with news that had changed his life drastically.

He was on Wednesday declared last year’s Kenya Certificate of Primary Education top student, having scored 442 marks out of the possible 500.

He and Christine are at position one. Martin too, attributed his success to hard work.

On Wednesday, residents at the Komarock estates craned their necks to catch a glimpse of the girl who had came ahead of 776,214 pupils who sat this year’s KCPE.

Teachers, parents and pupils broke into song and dance at the academy compound.

Singing their voices hoarse they hoisted Christine on their shoulders, praising her academic exploits. Occasionally her hair was ruffled, but that seemed the least of Christine’s worries.

Christine may appear conspicuously shorter than her peers, but she has a towering interest in current affairs and loves reading newspapers.

On Wednesday, she wore a white Newspapers In Education (NIE) T-shirt, black jeans and grey sandals.

“Newspapers are an important tool to know what is happening in our country,” she pointed out. “I also learn new words by reading the Nation.”

The school is currently enrolled in the NIE, an initiative of Safaricom and Nation Media Group for learners to improve their vocabulary and become fluent English speakers.

Her love for the literary genre saw her lead in an essay competition organised by her school and NIE.

According to Tender Care Academy deputy head in charge of administration Vincent Muunda, the NIE enhances the pupil’s linguistic skills and builds a reading culture.

But Christine harbours another love: passion for fiction. Her favourite novels are from the Pacesetter Series, which she says builds her vocabulary.

Her parents Pauline and Samwel Kagiri congratulated their last born daughter, saying her exemplary academic spirit had set a standard to be emulated.

Mr Muunda attributed the school’s performance to the team effort of parents, teachers, staff and pupils.

“This is not an overnight academic performance, but a system of excellence inculcated through our school values,” Mr Muunda told the Nation in an interview at the school.

He further attributed her success to the support of parents and two siblings.

“We motivate our pupils by helping them realise that personal effort and a positive attitude are important ingredients in excelling,” Mr Muunda stated.

Teachers at the school described Christine as a self-driven, hard-working and determined pupil who was keen to excel.

Finally spoke

Across the city in Nairobi West, Martin from Moi Educational Centre finally managed to speak.

“I’m grateful because my hard work has finally paid off. I didn’t expect to be the top student, though I knew I would pass,” said a jubilant Martin.

Earlier he had been flipping through local television channels at home as soon as Education minister Sam Ongeri started announcing the results.

It was his way of getting rid of the tension that was already building up in him as he waited to know how he had performed.

The seemingly shy Martin explained that he had worked round the clock and left no stone unturned in his studies. He hopes to join the Alliance High School and become a lawyer in future.

However, he says that he faced the challenge of having to cover a very wide syllabus and not being too sure of which specific areas the exam would cover.

His mother, Sarah Gikonyo, described her first-born son as a very hard-working person who had put a lot of effort in his education.

She thanked his teachers for being supportive throughout his time at the school, adding that it was the joint effort of teachers, parents and pupils that had resulted in the good academic performance witnessed in the school.

“I knew he would do well, but didn’t expect he would be top in the country. I’m really excited. “I have been there for him even when he did his homework,” Ms Gikonyo, a food nutritionist, said.

She hoped her son’s good performance would set the standard for her children and all others waiting to sit the KCPE exam.

Martin’s father, Mr Peter Waihara, an engineer, described his son as cool boy of very few words who believed in working hard.

Moi Educational Centre head teacher Philemon Chebii attributed the exceptional performance of his school to the efforts of the candidates, parents, teachers and the school’s board of directors.

Mr Chebii said he had anticipated the results that saw his school produce the best student nationally. He added that a good number of his candidates had 420 marks and above.