Nairobi News

A family in Tigania East, Meru County is appealing to Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) to change their son’s gender as indicated in examination certificate.

Colnelius Mutethia’s woes started after he did his Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) exams and did not follow up the issue to have his gender rectified until recently when he registered for the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) and the gender issue re-emerged.

“We were shocked when the KCPE results came out in 2011 and the gender indicated female. He scored 330 marks and when his secondary school admission letter came it was from Nkuene Girls Secondary School,” the boys father, Mr John Muriki, said.

Fortunately, after the family’s plight was highlighted the boy got a sponsorship from Hands of Hope and Peace Volunteers and was eventually admitted to Njia Boys Secondary School where he is a candidate.

But the family is worried that same situation might reoccur when the boy sits for KCSE later in the year.

NATIONAL EXAMS

Mr Muriki, a casual labourer, also says he cannot afford school fees for his son because he has two other children in secondary school and another one who is a standard eight candidate.

But he remains optimistic that the examining body will rectify the matter before his son sits for his national exams in October.

Colnelius is among the 145 registered candidates in the school and is busy preparing for the exams.

The sponsor Patrick Muthuri says that it is disappointing the problem has not been rectified.

According to Mr Muthuri, the student informed the school principal who took up the matter with KNEC and are still awaiting the outcome.

“We have paid over Sh150, 000 for his school fees and other expenditure since form one and we hope that he will perform well since he is a bright student,” Muthuri said.