Jubilation rented the air as Felix Omondi Ochola of little-known Rae Kanyaika Primary School in Kisumu East Sub-County scored 426 marks to emerge one of the top candidates nationally in the just released Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) results.
Ochola expressed his joy for the good results as he attributed his success to the Almighty God, motivating parents, supportive teachers and fellow classmates for enabling him to achieve this mean feat.
“It has not been easy and we have spent adequate time studying for this exam. In the last weeks to the commencement of the KCPE exams, as candidates we had to board in school and had ample time for proper revisions which really helped us perform well,’’ he said during an interview with KNA at their school alongside teachers, parents and Board of Governors members.
Ochola who aspires to become an electrical engineer attained in English (91), Kiswahili (86), Mathematics (90), Science (75), and Social Studies and Religious Education (84) out of the total 500 marks. He emphasized that he was inspired by his uncle whom he started seeing doing electrical engineering while he was in class one.
“I saw that my uncle earned a good income from his work and I thought of also being an engineer and also a very rich man. So from there, that was my career choice,’’ Ochola reiterated.
Savouring the sweet victory moments, Paul Odhiambo the Headteacher, pointed out that the time contacts they have always had with the learners have immensely contributed to their good performance.
“Our morning lessons always begin at 6.30am and they leave as late as 6.30p.m. Our top scorer Felix has always been doing so well from the lower classes. Even the last paper we did before KCPE, he had 441 marks and we knew his performance would be exemplary in the final exams,’’ Mr. Odhiambo clarified.
He added that they have five students (boys and girls) from his school who have managed to score 426, 412, 402 and 400 (two of them) marks respectively out of the total 167 candidates.
In 2021, Odhiambo said that they had a mean score of 272 which increased to 295 in 2022, and this year from what they have seen, they project to hit a mean score of 300 marks and above.
“We have very dedicated teachers and supportive parents who have made us excel not only in exams but also out of class (co-curriculum activities). In term one we had a dramatized dance in which we performed up to the national levels and in term two we also won in a folk song in position one,’’ Mr. Odhiambo gladly said.
Concurring, Stephen Ochieng, his Science and Mathematics teacher observed that their best student Ochola is an admirable, very hardworking boy who always kept them on their toes with curious and tangible questions. He noted Ochola is always studying at the right time and place, and doing the right things.
Affirming these good results, Collins Ouma Onyonge, the BOG Chairman and a resident, remarked that this is not a surprise to them as they have been previously performing well.
“Although we are a small school, in the previous exams we had a positive division of plus 23 and that is something which is not easy to achieve. Even in this year’s exams, we were very sure that our candidates will perform well,’’ Mr. Onyonge confidently said as he lauded the great team efforts between the teachers, parents and BOG members.
The morning and evening class preps, Onyonge revealed, was one of their key turning points which has continuously enabled them to defeat other schools like Nyalunya and Nyamasaria within the Ragumo zone.
“I would like to request the residents and people living around us to assist the school for us to continue excelling in the exams and sporting activities,’’ he urged.
Lavine Atieno, his sister, happily congratulated her brother as she noted that he was always working hard in his studies.
“My mother is jobless and my father is always doing menial jobs like weeding in people’s farms to sustain us as a family. I wish to encourage my brother Felix to continue with his good spirits to excel in his exams, and always remain steadfast with prayers,’’ urged Atieno, a Form Four student at Nyalunya Secondary School.
By Rolex Omondi
