32-year-old mother of two to sit for KCPE

As over 13,000 candidates prepare to sit for Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) exams in Embu County, a 32- year- old mother of three is among the candidates at DEB Kavutiri Primary school in Embu North.

Speaking during an interview with Citizen Digital, Jones Wanjuki said that she dropped out of school 16 years ago, but she later decided to continue with her pursuit of education.

Wanjuki, who was hired as a cook at the school’s nursery section, surprised the head teacher when she announced that she wanted to continue her education.

“As life continued to get tough because my work is only confined to making porridge for nursery pupils, I decided to improve my life by going to class,” she said.

Initially, Wanjuki’s husband tried to persuade her to register as a private candidate, but she opted to focus on motherhood.

Wanjuki’s education path has not been easy, as the 32-year-old had shave her hair and wear school uniform like the rest of the students.

Head teacher Jane Muthanje said that she was initially hesitant to allow Wanjuki to pursue her education at the institution, as her children attended the same school.

When Wanjuki sat her first exam, she got 165 marks out of the possible 500 – results that made teachers question whether she was fit to continue with her education. Wanjuli, however, has a steep learning curve, and her results improved drastically.

The head teacher confirmed that Wanjuki will be among the 46 candidates registered at the school to sit exams come Tuesday.

With just hours to the test, the mother-of-two has expressed optimism about the exams.