16-Year-Old Girl Ends County’s Six-Year drought For ‘A’ in KCSE
A 16-year-old student broke Kwale County’s six-year drought for an A in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exam.
Barke Mahsen praised her accomplishment in a January 22 speech, noting that it required a great deal of hard work and perseverance.
Mahsen, who took her KCSE exam at Matuga Girls’ High School, was the only candidate in the county out of 10,485 to achieve the desired grade.
“It was not very easy because the school calendar was compressed and we had to rush through the syllabus. I also had challenges raising school fees,” she reiterated.
The payment of Mahsen’s education fees made the Kwale county government proud. She also restored the long-lost academic glory of her school.
Since 2013, no Matuga Girls’ student has earned an A in the KCSE. The student attributed her achievement to her ability to mix academics and leadership.
“I was the school’s deputy president and I knew that I had to lead by example,” the KCSE top performer told Citizen TV.
On her fourth attempt, a student in Kisii who had failed to get a grade necessary for university admission scored a B plain.
Damacline Moraa initially took the exam at the Getare School and scored a grade of C. However, she desired to attend university and wanted to repeat Form Four.
She retook the KCSE but still sat the same grade. The adolescent again registered as a candidate at another school, hoping for better luck, but again received a C.
“I knew that the grades would earn me a place in college but I wanted to get to the university. I knew my family could not afford fees so I had to get a grade that would earn me government sponsorship,” Moraa noted.
On her fourth attempt, she scored a B, qualifying her for funding from the Higher Education Loans Board and a straight entry to university (HELB).
Through her journey, she became pregnant and gave birth to a child who shared her joy. Moraa hopes to pursue a law degree.
16-Year-Old Girl Ends County’s Six-Year drought For ‘A’ in KCSE