A girl with 409 KCPE marks considers repeating class 8

Martha Gesare, a needy Kisii girl, is uncertain about her future after failing to raise school fees for form one admission to Asumbi Girls High School.

The parents of the girl, who scored 409 marks in the 2022 KCPE exams, want her to repeat class 8. They only managed to buy a metallic box for their bright daughter whose dreams of becoming a doctor are hanging on the thread.

"I do not know how she can proceed with school because we do not have the school fees and money for other needs. This issue has stressed us as a family, especially our daughter and I now think she should return to Class Eight," the girl's father said.

The only way Martha completed primary school was with the financial assistance of a County Assembly member who was not re-elected in the 2022 elections. The parents are casual labourers.

Her family explained that they had applied for assistance from numerous organizations, but that their efforts had been ineffective, and that by having her repeat eighth grade, they would have ample time to acquire the funds necessary for her secondary school education.

Gesare's father, Abel Getange, claimed that although they were able to purchase the metal box after selling some trees, the proceeds were insufficient to cover all of her other expenses.

He added that since the other colleges he had contacted had been unresponsive, having Gesare retake the course would provide him the much-needed time to attempt and acquire financing for Gesare's education.