Wajir County schools turned in a stronger showing in the 2018 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examinations even after a year marked by teacher departures, insecurity and drought.
The results, announced on Monday, 20 November 2018 by Education minister Amina Mohamed, came after the county had also endured inter-clan clashes. In February, two teachers at Qarsa Primary School were killed by suspected Al-Shabaab gunmen, and the wife of one of them was also shot dead. Soon after, the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) moved more than 900 non-local teachers out of the county, a shift that left the education sector under severe strain because more than 60 percent of the teachers were non-local.
Despite those setbacks, pupils in Wajir recorded better performance. Billan Mohamed Diis of Furqan Integrated Academy emerged as the county’s top candidate with 426 marks. She said she was grateful to God, her teachers and classmates, and urged girls in the county to remain focused on their studies.
“Let me be a source of hope and inspiration to all the girls in the county. We are equal to the task no matter the challenges,” she said.
Hafsa Ahmed Abdi of Wajir Excel Academy followed with 411 marks, while Fartun Ismail of Al-Bukhari Integrated Academy scored 409. Mohamed Ahmed and Bilal Abdullahi Mohamed, both from Furqan Integrated Academy, took the fourth and fifth positions with 408 and 404 marks respectively.
Private schools generally outperformed public schools. Among the public school candidates highlighted, Fathi Abdi Mumin of ICF Primary School scored 399 marks, followed by Bahsan Ahmed with 394 and Yahya Ahmed Hillow with 385. Dekow Mohamed and Issack Yasin of Furaha Primary School tied at 368 marks.
Girls also dominated the county’s top positions and outshone boys in almost all the sub-counties. Their progress stood out in a region where they continue to face female genital mutilation, early marriage and sexual abuse.
County education director Hussein Osman said the improved results reflected proper preparation and the absence of cheating opportunities. He added that schools in Wajir town did better than those in other parts of the county because of their central location and relatively better security, which he described as important to performance in national examinations.
