NAIROBI, Kenya, May, 10 – Simiyu Robin Wanjala woke up early Monday morning to the news that Education Cabinet Secretary Professor George Magoha would be announcing the results of the 2020 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examination (KCSE) just three weeks after he had released the KCPE results.
The teenager despite having an impeccable education performance record in school was clouded with doubt of what lay ahead, let alone pondering what he would do or say if he topped the list of the best performing candidate in the country.
As the clock ticked to the much anticipated and ‘dreaded’ 12:30PM announcement, Simiyu told Shahidi News that, “the pressure was too much, at one point I even had to go back to my room and decide whether or not I would watch CS Magoha on TV.”
Some 30 minutes later, the much anticipated address was nowhere in sight.
This only increased his anxiety and that of hundreds of thousands other candidates.
“My dad was pacing in the house while making phone calls. My mother had just finished cooking lunch, I thought I was hungry when she called out my name but I could not eat. I was so nervous,” said an elated Simiyu.
Exactly an hour after Magoha was slated to address the nation and release the results of the 2020 KCSE examinations everyone in the Simiyu household found themselves sitting quietly, nervously throwing glances between the TV set and Robin, who could barely turn away despite attempts to avoid glaring at the television set.
Speaker after the other, and the podium was cleared and up stepped CS Magoha.
Robin, unable to utter a word, was now ready for what was to come next.
“Now I am sure this is what you have been waiting for, the top candidate this year is from Murang’a High School with a mean score of is 87.334. Thank God he is a male (student), the name is Simiyu Robinson Wanjala…. ” said Prof. Magoha.
Their humble residence in Buruburu, Nairobi county was shortly after the center of attention.
Nothing else was of importance, the son of Simiyu, as he fondly said, “had surmounted extreme challenges to become the best in Kenya.”
“I could barely utter a word, I was still shaking when everyone else was hugging me and reminding me I was number 1. I had on several occasions had self doubt that I would not achieve the things I wanted after schools were closed for nearly 9 months when the pandemic broke out. I just want to thank God,” a visibily excited Robin said.
Every candidate that sits for the national exams always dream to achieve the unthinkable, Robin said, as he reminded future candidates that “nothing is impossible.”
His mother, Mercy Simiyu credits his son’s performance to his, ‘can do’ attitude, resilence and faith in God, saying there was no doubt her son would do his family proud.
“It is a great day for Robin and our family, I prayed and prayed, I even told him he would become the best,” she told Shahidi News.
Murang’a High School principal William Kuria also told Shahidi News that there “was never a doubt” that Robinson would become the best candidate in the country.
“He was destined to do great things. He was a very obedient and hardworking student. He has done our school proud and I wish him the very best in life and in his future career,” the head teacher said.
From a little known public school in Gachie to Murang’a High School, Robin now seeks to pursue a noble course in medicine at the University of Nairobi, hoping to one day change the lives of many through science and medicine.
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