Ahmed Issack’s parents died while he was in class two but that has not deterred him from topping the Northeastern in KCSE exam results.
Issack sat the test at Garissa’s County High School a scored an A- (minus) a mean grade of 75 points.
The youth said hard work and prayers were his secrets to success.
Issack said he wants to pursue medicine so as to give back to society.
“My performance has not come as a surprise,” he said.
When the Star visited him at Garissa’s Soko Ng’ombe yesterday, his elated grandmother said her grandson is destined for greater heights for his hard work.
Friends and family members converged at their home to congratulate him, as was a former classmate had achieved a similar grade.
“He has always been so disciplined and hardworking since his primary school. I used to advise him that education is the only way out of the poverty we are in,” she told the press.
Surprisingly, in this year’s KCSE exam results, most top candidates in the region came from public school, challenging the dominance of private schools candidates.
Public schools in the region have witnessed a mass exodus of teachers due to terrorism, lack of infrastructure, limited reading materials, unfriendly environment amongst other challenges.
Abdiqani Abdi from Garissa’s County High School also scored an A-, while Issack Alio Issack from Mandera Secondary School got an A- topping the border county.
Issack like his colleague from County High School said he will pursue medicine to help the community that he said need proper health care.
Kenya National Union of Teachers assistant national treasury Ali Abdi Husein said the public schools's performance was the result of teachers' sacrifice.
“Despite TSC weakening teacher’s voice we have been encouraging tutors to change their teaching strategy to impact positively on their performance,” he said yesterday.
