Top Candidates Get Schools of Choice as Many Others Cry Foul
Candidates who topped the 2021 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examination now know which national schools they will join.
The results for the Form One selection was released yesterday by the Ministry of Education. The students received notifications on the phone as they wait for the letters containing details of what is required of them when they report.
Some of the students were lucky to have been selected to schools of their choice, while others will have to contend with the ones they have been placed to.
Magata Bruce Makenzie, the top candidate who scored 428 marks, will join Alliance High School, a school of his choice.
His Gilgil Hills Academy Headteacher Lawrence Anyona said 53 out of 109 candidates were selected for national schools.
Ashley Kerubo, from Makini School Kisumu, who scored 427 marks and emerged second-best nationally, was joyous after receiving an admission notification from Kenya High School.
“I did not expect anything less, it has always been my dream school,” said Kerubo.
As some candidates celebrated for being placed in schools of their choice, it was a sad day for a set of twins who had requested the government to take them the same school.
Jesica Adongo and her identical twin sister Josephine Apiyo who sat their KCPE in Lwak Girls Primary School are to be separated if they take the slots.
Adongo, who scored 413 marks, is to join Alliance Girls High School, 74.8km away from her sister Apiyo’s (408) Mary Hills High School in Thika.
Yesterday, their parents were worried, saying the girls’ separation will psychologically affect them, hence affecting their education performance and future careers.
“They have never been separated in their lifetime, we are afraid they will suffer away from each other,” said George Oloo, their father.
A parent in Murang’a County, Mureithi Matu, said his daughter scored 408 marks and has been sent to Nyandarua High School, which was not her choice. She said the girl is demoralised.
“She chose Ngandu, Karima and Pangani and had performed well in KCPE,” said Dr Matu.
Triza Anyango, who emerged top at St Theresa Rapogi Girls Boarding Primary School by scoring 419 marks, had chosen Kenya High School but received a notification to join Mary Hill Girls High School.
Philip Karani from Likoni School for the Blind who scored 397 marks was selected to join Moi High School Mbiruri in Embu County. Karani’s choice school was Nakuru High.
However, it was celebration in the Western region where candidates who posted exemplary results are among those selected to schools such as Kenya High, Alliance Girls, Alliance High, Loreto Girls Limuru, St Brigid’s Girls Kitale, Moi Girls Eldoret, Mang’u High and Lugulu Girls.
In Bungoma, Charity Buyanzi Kwoma of Holy Family Misikhu Girls Primary School, who scored 426 marks and was the third-best nationally, will join Kenya High.
Never let them down
“My dream to join Kenya High School has come to fruition. I want to promise my parents, teachers and the country at large that I will never let them down. After four years, my name will be on the top list again,” said Buyanzi.
At Bungoma DEB Primary School, 73 out of 434 candidates were selected to join national schools.
Isaac Happyness Wanyama and Bradley Kenneth Wanyonyi led the pack of top candidates from the school who were selected to join the schools of their choice.
Headteacher Tobias Khisa said this was an improvement from last year’s performance where 52 candidates joined national schools.
“We never had our candidates selected to join Alliance High School until last year. We are happy this year we have more learners joining Alliance,” said Mr Khisa.
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