On 22 November 2018, Embu’s top KCPE candidate Telvin Gichuki said Raila Odinga played a major role in motivating him to excel. The former Tenri Primary School pupil scored 434 marks out of 500 and emerged among the county’s standout performers.
Gichuki, who is 13 years old, said he wants to pursue civil engineering and sees Raila as a model for that ambition. He told reporters that he had followed the former Prime Minister closely and admired what he described as Raila’s civil engineering work.
“The former Prime Minister has been my role model and inspired me to work hard so that I can a be a civil engineer like him,” Gichuki said.
He also pointed to Raila’s time as minister for Roads, saying that record strengthened his belief that the opposition leader had left a strong legacy in infrastructure work. Gichuki said his own interest in engineering is tied to development and to President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Big Four agenda.
The pupil said discipline, prayer, and support from teachers and parents helped him post the high score. He added that he studied early even on public holidays and followed instructions from his teachers.
After the results were released, Gichuki was driven around Embu in a limousine, a gesture that drew attention to his performance. He now hopes to join Alliance Boys High School during the selection set for 3 December.
