Celebrations as 2016 KCPE candidates get missing marks

Edward Cliff Kerry of Jomvu's Edward King's Academy in Mombasa County celebrates his victory by being lifted high by Teachers, Parents, in presence of fellow students outside the School compound on Saturday, 03rd December,2016. He scored 419 marks to place him among the top students at the Coast. PHOTO BY MAARUFU MOHAMED/STANDARD

Some of the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education exam candidates who did not get their results due to a technical hitch at the examinations council have now received them.

Several pupils from Nyanza region had not received the results for some subjects since Thursday when Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i released them. The marks for the missing marks were only labelled as XX.

But on Saturday, celebrations broke out in the schools when they received the results after the Kenya National Examinations Council corrected the anomaly.

A member of the council’s board, Dr Julius Juan, said no examination result had been cancelled and the missing results were due to a mix-up in index numbers.

At Okok Primary School in Ndhiwa, Homa Bay County, three candidates had been affected and head teacher Silas Okello confirmed that they all received their results yesterday.

Moving with speed

“We received the results this morning and the pupils’ parents who had been worried are now very joyous. I wish to thank the examinations council for moving with speed to correct the mistake,” said Mr Okello.

He said one of the candidates, Were Omondi Maxwel, who had missed English marks now has 75 per cent in the paper. He scored 330 marks overall.

His classmate, Vinet Alakok missed Kiswahili marks but confirmed yesterday that he had scored 58 per cent.

Another candidate, Okeyo Violet had her science results marked XX before, but now she has 63 per cent.

Candidates in Bondo, Siaya County, who were affected have also received their results.

KNEC acting Chief Executive Officer Mercy Karogo yesterday assured parents and candidates who had not received their results that they would eventually receive them because no results were cancelled.

Dr Juan said both KCPE and KCSE exams were a huge success. “We don’t want the missing marks to cloud what have been a huge success,” he said.

Meanwhile, a combination of group work, individual dedication, discipline and taking advice did it for Kisumu County’s top candidate who scored 433 marks.

Linda Noel, 14, topped his class at Xaverian Primary School and was also the best in Nyanza.

Dedicated

Francis Onditi, his father, said Noel was dedicated from early days of school and topped her class all through, only falling twice to second position in Standard Four and Five.

“Once in upper primary, she would stay late into the night to study, as she never wanted to be beaten by anyone. We supported her with the materials she needed to fulfill her academic goal,” he said.

The girl attributed her good results to teamwork, dedication and good counsel from her teachers and her parents’ support.

She wants to attend Moi Girls High School, Eldoret, and hopes to become a journalist.

Noel said she ought to have performed better, but admitted that the results nationally reassured her that she had not fallen short of her ambitions.

“I have been performing very well in class and from internal exams, I was sure I would post good results,” she said.

The school had seven of its 96 candidates score 400 marks and above, with the second best pupil, Darell Barasa, scoring 420 marks. Last year, the best pupil at the school had 434 marks, one of the best in Naynza region.