Teacher Magdalene Kimani, the principal of Sosiana High School in Narok, will have covered a distance of more than 320 kilometres by the end of the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE).

Trying to “walk in her shoes”, Nation accompanied her through one of her trips on Friday. It exposed what many teachers in rural areas undergo just to ensure candidates sit their exams.

Together with two police officers Mrs. Kimani endures the morning cold and walks through the muddy Murkan-Sosiana road, full of bushes and rocks.

She crosses the seasonal river Kibailuk and eventually climbs up a hilly topography where the school is located, 10 kilometers from Murkan centre.

During heavy rains which lead to river flooding, they are forced to walk through a flooded plateau to the school which is atop the hill. With the current rainy season, she is forced to sacrifices.

“We pick up the exams from the Trans Mara East Sub-county headquarters at 6 am. A police van then dropped us off at Murkan. This is the last point accessible by a vehicle. From there, we walk to school and we must be quick enough to ensure we do not delay the exams,” she says.

The teacher and her colleagues have to make the very trip again while delivering the exam materials, covering a total distance of 20 kilometers daily.

“During the normal school days, I stay at Sosiana centre which is adjacent to the institution and therefore do not have to walk like I am doing now during this exam period,” she tells Nation.

The roads leading to the school are impassable and no vehicle can get to it. A motorbike would do you more harm than good since you will only be left with a backache to nurse if your rider is brave enough to manoeuvre the rough terrain.

The principal was transferred from Ekaimurunya Secondary School, Kajiado County in January in this year’s delocalization program by the government. She occasionally visits her family in Kajiado County and she.

“When I came here first in January, I wanted to reject the transfer. My husband initially did not want me to come here, but after a lot of soul searching, I convinced him that I could give it a try,” she says.

“I enjoy being with these children who are disciplined. Most of them come from very poor backgrounds. The fact that they make it to school every day humbles me. They endure many challenges and their sight inspires me.”

Sosiana High School which began in 2015 has four classes and a science laboratory. One classroom has 5 partitions forming cubicles for a classroom, the library, the principal, the bursar, and the school secretary.

JOIN OUR TELEGRAM CHANNEL