On 2018-11-21, a Mombasa family’s relief over strong KCPE results was tempered by a far harder reality: their daughter, Mary Kamanthe Mutua, had sat the exam while battling bone cancer.
The 15-year-old, a pupil at Amani Primary School in Mikindani, Changamwe Constituency, emerged among the top performers in Mombasa’s public schools category after scoring 415 marks. Her achievement came after months of pain, swelling in her left leg and a diagnosis she was not told about until she had finished her last paper.
According to her father, Josephat Mwangani Mutua, the family took her to Pandya Hospital only after the pain became unbearable a few weeks before the KCPE. Doctors confirmed bone cancer and told the family the condition could either be treated locally through amputation of the leg or handled in India through specialised treatment.
Mutua said he chose not to tell his daughter before the exam because he feared the news would affect her performance. During the three days of the test, he said he carried her on his back because she was limping to and from school.
After the results, Mutua carried her shoulder high to Amani Primary School in celebration. He said the family needs Sh3 million for treatment in India and added that donations can be sent to Paybill No 127506 under Mary Mutua Medical Fund.
Kamanthe wants to travel to India for specialised care and return in time to join Form One with the rest of the students. Her teacher, Richard Nduva, said she had consistently been among the top pupils and appealed for support from well-wishers.
The case was one of several hardship stories linked to strong KCPE performances in the region. Arnold Deche of Imara Academy in Kilifi’s Mtwapa scored 421 marks after losing his father days before the examination, while also living with the reality that his mother is physically challenged and the family faced poverty.
At Leads Group of Schools in Jomvu slums, Mombasa, seven of the 38 candidates scored 400 marks and above, with the school posting a mean score of 375. Hawa Mjomba led the school’s results with 428 marks. Principal Elizabeth Nafula said many of the pupils are children of local labourers and struggled with school fees.
