Presenting the first David Feather Award

Caroline Rabongo, left, receives the David Feather Award from CES Canada Chair Carl Friesen, right. In the centre is Linda Zalo, Principal of Tigoi Girls High School.

Each year, one of the most important events in a young Kenyan’s life comes around – the examinations for the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education, or KCSE. It’s a comprehensive exam covering mathematics, chemistry, history and other subjects, and is required of all students in their final year, before graduation. In one of Kenya’s most impressive national exercises, it’s administered to students right across the country, at the same time.

In the months before the KCSE, teachers and students put all other concerns aside, other than preparing for the exam. Exam-takers are often excused from household duties.

The KCSE is hugely influential in a young Kenyan’s life, as the marks they achieve influence heavily which tertiary education institution they are invited to attend. Those with high marks may be offered a place in a prestigious program like Medicine or Engineering, at one of Kenya’s top universities. Those with lower marks may be offered a place at a technical college, or none.

Because of the crucial place that the KCSE holds for our students, we’ve developed an award to be presented each year to the student who achieves the highest mark among CES-sponsored students. There is a certificate, plus an award of 50,000 Kenyan Shillings – about CAD$500, which will be paid to the educational institution that the winner attends, for tuition and other costs.

We decided to name the award after David Feather, a long-standing friend to CES.

The 2025 award goes to Caroline Rabongo, a student at Tigoi Girls High School. Caroline earned an A- on the KCSE, an impressive result that puts her in the top 2% of exam-takers nationwide.

On my visit to Kenya in June 2025, I went with four of the board members of CES Kenya to visit Tigoi Girls. I had the honour of presenting the certificate to Caroline Rabongo at her school, in front of her Principal and fellow students.

The David Feather Award is named in honour of David Feather, a longstanding friend to CES