KCSE candidate dies hours after sitting first two papers

By  George Odiwuor

Correspondent

Nation Media Group

The sudden death of a KCSE candidate, Congestina Achieng, on Monday evening plunged Kanyaliech Village in Koyugi sub-location, Homa Bay County, into deep sorrow, leaving her family, relatives and the wider community struggling to come to terms with a loss that has shattered their lives.

For her loved ones, the pain is made even more unbearable by the suddenness of her death and the dreams she carried. Congestina, a student at Alaro Central Secondary School, reportedly complained of severe chest pains before she breathed her last, bringing a promising young life to an untimely end.

The Form Four candidate passed away just hours after sitting her first two Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination papers.

Earlier that day, her teachers had noticed that she was visibly unwell during the examinations, prompting them to contact her parents, who immediately rushed to check on her.

Her father, David Ogweno, said he received an urgent call from the school principal asking him to attend to his daughter after she had completed her first two papers.

“Her condition worsened rapidly. We rushed her to Tamary Hospital, but unfortunately, she passed away,” a devastated Mr Ogweno said.

A casual labourer, Mr Ogweno spoke of the financial struggles he had endured to educate his children, including another child currently studying at Tom Mboya University.

He said Congestina had dreamt of becoming a lawyer and viewed the national examinations as a crucial stepping stone towards securing a better future for herself and lifting her family out of hardship.

Her mother, Pamela Atieno, revealed that Congestina had been unwell since last week but had hoped to recover in time to sit her national examinations.

“She complained of chest pains, and I bought her some over-the-counter medicine to relieve the pain so she could sit for the national test. I was later called and told she could no longer continue,” Ms Atieno said.

Her teachers, Isaiah Opere and Austine Achina, described Congestina as an exemplary student whose discipline, humility and quiet determination had endeared her to those around her.

“She was gentle, composed and well-behaved. She was never once in trouble or punished for misconduct,” Mr Opere recalled.

For her family and teachers, the loss is particularly painful: a young life full of promise has been cut short just as the final chapter of her secondary school journey was beginning, leaving behind dreams that will now remain unfulfilled.

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