Public school in Nakuru faulted of denying KCPE candidates form one slots

A public school has allegedly refused to issues letters of admission to a number of Form One students.

The refusal comes despite the parents getting notifications from a code supplied by the Ministry of Education when it launched the selection process.

The parents faulted Menengai High School management for allegedly working with cartels to deny candidates opportunities in schools where they have been selected.

Parents who spoke to The Standard said they had sent a text message to 20042, a number issued by the ministry, immediately after the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examination results were released but their children had been denied admission to the school.

Lucy Waceke is among the stranded students who expected to join Menengai High School but are yet to receive enrolment letters from the school.

Admission letter

Speaking to The Standard, Waceke’s father Geoffrey Kamau, said despite receiving the text indicating his daughter had been selected to join the school, he had not received an admission letter or fees structure.

Waceke, a former pupil of Luther King Academy in Nakuru, scored 330 marks out of a possible 500.

Mr Kamau said he went to collect the fees structure from Menengai on Tuesday, but found Waceke’s name missing from the list of enrolled students.

He said the school then sent him to the Ministry of Education offices and was told his daughter had been selected to join St Veronicah Secondary School.

Brian Mosoti, a former pupil of Moi Primary School who scored 335 marks, is another student who failed to gain admission at Menengai, the school of his choice.

Mosoti’s father Erick Morachi said he tried to download the school enrollment letter online but it was not possible. When he went to the school, he was referred to Moi Primary to pick the letter.

“I went to pick a letter for my son’s admission but was referred to his former primary school. I'm now stranded regarding the way forward,” said Mr Morachi.

Menengai high School principal Richard Ngatia told The Standard that the text message parents received from the number issued by the ministry was not authentic.

Mr Ngatia said the number was only used for selection of county and extra-county schools. Menengai is a sub-county school that picks students from neighbouring primary schools.

He added that the number issued by the ministry should have listed the name of the candidate and the school selected. This information could later be downloaded and printed.

However, there was no form available online for Menengai.

“I cannot state whether the code for selection was accurate, but what I know is Form One selection for Menengai was done manually,” said Ngatia.

He added that the school had a total enrolment of more than 1,400 students. Enrollment for Form One is 270 students.

Contrary to the principal's claims, Rift Valley Education Director Mary Gituru said online selection of Form One slots was credible and that all candidates who wrote their KCPE exams should be accorded equal opportunities.

Ms Gituru said action would be taken against any education official working with cartels to deny candidates opportunities to join schools they were selected for.

“Anybody who has not received or printed letters after sending a text message should walk to the schools and check the admission lists,” she said.