Pupils of Kitui Central Primary School in Kitui Central District, Kitui County, voted in Lewis Matthew as their school’s children’s government president.
They conducted the elections on Friday, February 25, 2022, where the school’s deputy headteacher, Mr. Cosmus Mutinda Munyoki, was the returning officer.
Matthew (Standard Seven) succeeds Grace S. Esther (Standard Eight).
The new president garnered a total of 623 votes to defeat his two rivals Alex Titus (Standard Seven with 404 votes) and Grace Eric (Standard Seven with 233 votes).
The deputy president position went to Maxwell Muinde, who scooped a total of 481 votes.
He defeated his two rivals and fellow Standard Six classmates Elvis Mumo (403 votes) and Joy Ndanu (358 votes).
Caleb Tseneta (Standard Seven) garnered a total of 676 votes to win the parliamentary speaker position where he defeated his sole rival Irene Onesmus (Standard Seven) who scooped up a total of 532 votes.
The deputy parliamentary speaker position that had two contestants was won by Victor Sammy with 587 votes.
He trounced his fellow Standard Seven classmate Joseph Mbutu, who managed to get 547 votes.
Felix Kiema (Standard Seven) was voted in as the Environment, Health, and Sanitation Cabinet Secretary where he garnered a total of 521 votes.
He had two challengers: Jemimma Mwamburi (Standard Seven), who got 373 votes and Joash Musili (Standard Six), who scooped a total of 363 votes.
The Peace, Justice, and Cohesion Cabinet Secretary position went to Standard Six pupil Grace Ndanu after garnering 484 votes.
She trounced her two opponents Rosemary Musili (Standard Six) who got 424 votes and Standard Seven’s Diana Musyoka who managed to get a total of 346 votes.
Lucy Mwikali (Standard Six) is the ICT and External Relations Cabinet Secretary after she garnered 512 votes.
She was followed by Joy Mutanu (Standard Six), who got 386 votes and Patience Mutheu, who scooped 309 votes.
The Education Cabinet Secretary position had three contestants where Ivy Kyalo (Standard Seven) emerged as the overall winner with 504 votes.
Angel Nyokabi (Standard Six) came number two with 371 votes, followed by Shirlyn Mutheu (Standard Seven) with 353 votes.
The Sports and Culture Cabinet Secretary is Brian Mwangangi (Standard Seven) who garnered a total of 780 votes to defeat his sole rival Evalyne Mwikali (Standard Six) who managed to scoop 456 votes.
Joy Evans (Standard Six) won the Welfare and Special Needs Cabinet Secretary position with 615 votes, defeating her sole rival Leila Juma (Standard Six), who got 543 votes.
Three senators: Nelson Nyamai (Standard Two with 654 votes), Halima Bwanamzee (Standard Five) with 470 votes and Margaret Gikandi (Standard Seven) with 446 votes were elected after defeating their rivals.
Nyamai’s sole rival Kate Mumbe (Standard Two), got 504 votes.
Bwana Mzee had two rivals Ephantus Mwangi (Standard Four), who got 409 votes and Blessing Ndunge (Standard Five) who garnered 340 votes.
Gikandi had two competitors: Brian Musyoka (Standard Seven), who got 394 votes and Iqra Ramadhan (Standard Six), who got 325 votes.
The outgoing president addressed the event as she officially handed over the office to her successor.
The new president also addressed the occasion.
The school’s headteacher, Mr. Michael M. Kaboro thanked the pupils for having conducted peaceful campaigns and elections.
“Our pupils have conducted the campaigns for the last weeks. They have today elected their government leaders for 2022. We were exercising our democratic rights. It was our right,” the teacher said.
“You have set history because in the previous years it was only girls who were the presidents in the school,” Kaboro told the pupils.
“It is a gender balance today. The boys were well represented. And the girls were well represented,” he added.
“I wish to thank the presiding officers. You all have done good work for us,” he said.
He thanked the outgoing president for the good work she had done for the school.
The headteacher disclosed that currently, the learning institution has a total of 1,579 pupils and 147 early childhood development education (ECDE) pupils.
He also disclosed that the institution has a total of 45 teachers whom he said 32 of them are by the government.
“We are now preparing our candidates for the 2022 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) national examination.
Here at the Kitui Central Primary School, we don’t rest. We make sure that our children are doing well,” the school manager said.
His deputy, Cosmus Mutinda Munyoki, also addressed the occasion.
