On 2018-11-21, Zakaria Mogambi Otuke emerged as the top KCPE candidate in Nyanza region after scoring 447 marks at Muhoroni Furah Primary School in Kisumu County.
The 13-year-old beat Sewe James of St Peter's Cape View in Homa Bay, who came second with 445 marks. Zakaria now hopes to join the M-Pesa Foundation Academy, though he is unsure whether his family can raise the fees.
His home life reflects the strain behind the achievement. The family lives in an iron sheet shanty near Muhoroni Township, where his father, Meshack Otuke, works on farms and his mother sells vegetables in local markets.
Mr Otuke said the family was proud of the result, but the next step remained uncertain. “We are celebrating him even as we ponder where we will get school fees,” he said.
He added that his firstborn daughter is already at Alliance Girls' High School in Form Two, supported by a church and the CDF fund, and he appealed for help to keep Zakaria’s education on track.
Zakaria said he relied on extra effort and support from teachers and parents to post the result. “During free time in school, I would follow my teachers for help and revised well,” he said.
He described himself as an aspiring neurosurgeon and said he had been encouraged throughout by his family and teachers. His father said the boy used to read until 1am and that the household had only hoped he would reach 445 marks, not lead the region.
The result placed Zakaria at the centre of both celebration and concern: a standout academic performance, but one that may still be followed by a struggle to secure a place in secondary school.
