Kisii Deputy Governor Threaten to Sue Narok Senator Ole Kina Over KCSE Exam Results Remarks
Dr. Robert Monda, the Deputy Governor of Kisii, has threatened to sue Senator Ledama Ole Kina of Narok for his comments on the exceptional performance of schools in the Gusii area in the recently released Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination results.
While many Kenyans have questioned how most Gusiiland schools, some of which came from nowhere, managed to achieve exceptional results, the senator stated that marijuana use was to blame.
“I told you guys marijuana is good stuff!!! Look at schools in Kisii, All As in KCSE! It’s not a scam, it’s knowing the stuff !!!,” the legislator wrote in one of his social media accounts.
After presiding over an event on Monday evening at Gusii Stadium, Dr. Monda called the senator for characterizing the Gusii people as bhang users.
The director general questioned why the senator chose to label candidates from the community when there were excellent performances in other regions of the country.
“I have an issue with the Narok Senator who in his social media addressed Kisii to be using marijuana to have students pass. There is an issue here. We cannot profile a community and Mr senator, if you have knowledge on how Marijuana is used in Kisii, we shall want you to come down to address and tell us how it improves education in Kisii,” a visibly upset Dr Monda said.
“Why wait when we are pushing our children to do well and then tell us that we are using marijuana to have children pass? Who uses the marijuana? Is it the teachers? Is it the children? Is it education officers?’ the DG continued.
He characterized Mr. Leddama’s remarks as inflammatory and noted that they were unfit for a leader of his stature, as they created a negative view of the community.
The former Nyaribari Chache legislator demanded that the senator retract his remarks and apologize to the Gusii people, or he will be taken to court.
“You have to withdraw and apologise to the Kisii people. When you don’t, please we have reason to take you to court,” the DG averred.
Schools in the Gusii region captured the attention of many Kenyans after a number of them were ranked among the top 100 in the country.
Those who had languished for years posted improved results to stake their claim as the new academic powerhouses.
Nyambaria High School in Nyamira, based on the nation’s average, has the highest national average grade. It achieved a mean score of 10.89 and outperformed the traditional leaders of Nairobi and Kikuyu counties.
Cardinal Otunga High School, Mobamba High School in Nyaribari Masaba Constituency, and St. Paul’s Gekano Boys are among the schools whose national test results were a surprise when they were released on Friday by Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu.
In the past eight years, enrollment at some schools has doubled. Moreover, despite the large quantity, they have maintained an outstanding performance.
Some of the top schools in Kisii, for instance, registered as many as 800 candidates for the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examination, but were placed first (KCSE).
Kereri Girls in Kisii Central, with a student body of almost 2,700, registered 822 candidates for the KCSE examination in 2022.
According to Teresa Atieno, the school’s principal, this was the biggest number of candidates to ever sit for the national examination.
Despite the statistics, 557 university entrance grades were recorded. "The trip has not been easy,” she remarked.
The school had four A (minus), four 79 B (plus), and 98 B (plain), with a mean grade of 7.312, an increase from 7.30 in 2021.
David Ogega, the principal of Nyabisase Secondary, reported that 444 of the 471 students who sat for the KCSE and will be attending college excelled.
Ogega stated that the performance was exceptional.
“We faced challenges handling more than 300 day scholars. True, a number of them came from poor family background, and in most cases, they could miss classes. Attending remedial classes for this group was a challenge,” he said.
The school’s enrollment has increased from 130 in 2015 to 2,000 currently.
At Nyabururu National Girls School, 422 candidates took the KCSE, and 383 of them earned a grade of C plus or higher. The mean score for the school was 8.61.
Principal Joyce Orioki stated that enrollment in form one has been rising, resulting in a large number of form four candidates.
“We must embrace the government’s 100 per cent transition to form one. This comes with its own challenges that include congestion due to unlimited infrastructure. That notwithstanding, we will have to work smart in giving our children a conducive learning environment,” she noted.
She asserts that for the school to attain a nearly 95 percent pass rate, teachers must collaborate.
Sironga Girls had 314 candidates whereas St Charles Lwanga Ichuni Girls had 529 contestants.
Despite the high numbers, the average scores for the schools were 7.69 and 7.
Sironga had 241 candidates with grades of C+ or higher, whereas Inchuni Girls had 343 candidates with minimum university entrance grades.
Cardinal Otunga Mosocho, which suffered a drop in academic performance a few years ago, saw 320 pupils qualify for university.
Jane Nyanumba, principal of Tombe Girls, states that the school’s enhanced infrastructure has attracted more students.
The school received a mean score of 9.2 out of 187 candidates.
Kisii Deputy Governor Threaten to Sue Narok Senator Ole Kina Over KCSE Exam Results Remarks
