Nairobi’s top KCPE pupil comes from family of performers
St Mary’s Ruaraka School produced the best candidate in Nairobi County in last year’s KCPE results.
There was more good news for the institution located at Zimmerman area off the Thika Superhighway as its candidate Jonathan Kipkirui Koskey was position three in Kenya.
The shy light-skinned 15-year-old scored 442 marks out of a possible 500 marks topping Nairobi County in addition to being the third best male nationally.
Koskey, who was accompanied by his brother Dan Kibet and her joyful mother Joyce Wairimu attributed his success to God, hard work and discipline.
Immediately the results were announced, he was carried shoulder high by his teachers including the deputy Simon Maina.
“Though I had worked hard and was confident of performing well, I was not expecting to emerge top,” he said softly.
The learner, whose favourite subject was social studies, said he expects to join his brother at Starehe Boys Centre and later pursue a career in law.
“I would like to become a human rights lawyer and defend the weak and the oppressed in the society. I am always pained by the fact that so many criminals walk scot-free, while the aggrieved cry in pain just because they have no one to defend them,” he said softly during an interview at the school.
Koskey said he was watching the announcement of the results on television at their home in Kiambu Town when he heard his name mentioned by Education minister Jacob Kaimenyi.
“I immediately called my mum,” he said.
Coincidentally, his mother was also glued to the TV in her office in Thika where she works and she jumped up in joy when she heard her son’s name being called out.
Interestingly, the avid reader, who was described by teachers as a focused learner, comes from a family of four top performing boys.
His brother Kibet was among the best candidates in the same school in 2011 and was position 35 nationally, scoring 430 marks while his other two brothers scored 400 and 410 marks respectively in previous KCPE results.
So, what is the reason behind the sharp brains? Ms Wairimu described it as a miracle.
“I would not attribute it to either the mother or the father’s genes but I believe it is a miracle from God combined with discipline and hard work,” she said