By Phares Mutembei

Six-year-old Carl Lubano’s hunt for treasure at the National Museum in Nairobi last Saturday was a success. It took him a long time to find the hidden treasure but when he did, he joyously jumped up and down.

The treasure hunt was part of a national mathematics and science festival and fun day.

Children were required to solve a maths puzzle to find the coveted first prize — a laptop computer. Twinkle followed the children as they made calculations, counted their steps and followed the clues to the location of the treasure. It was not easy. The excited children went around the whole museum complex.

Armed with a pen and paper, Carl at first easily solved maths problems.

Carl shows the piece of paper he found under the lion. Photo: Jenipher Wachie

"But the calculations became harder and I spent time doing them again," says Carl, a Standard One pupil at Rose of Sharon School, Nairobi.

Following a clue, Carl went up the stairs and stopped. He removed his notebook and read aloud to himself. He scratched his head and smiled. Suddenly he ran up the stairs and stopped again. He saw the sculpture of a lion and ran to it. Then he went on his knees and looked under the lion. He then stood and went round the lion four times.

"I knew the treasure was hidden under the lion but I could not see it. I thought they had given us bad clues. I also thought they had lied because I did not see anything under the lion," says Carl.

"Then I saw a big piece of paper under the lion and picked it up. On the paper it was written ‘Laptop’ and I jumped up and down and shouted with joy. I had found the treasure!"

Carl, who wants to be a pilot when he grows up, loves maths.

"It is my favourite subject and I will use my new laptop to play computer games and solve maths problems,"

Eight-year-old Lynne Njeri of PCEA Lang’ata Primary School won the second prize, while nine-year-old Evelyne Gathoni of Mount Angel School was third.