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What’s Inside Each Paper?

📘 Paper 1 – Functional Writing, Cloze Test & Oral Skills (60 Marks)

Functional Writing (20 marks):

• Write an investigative report as a class representative:

  • Your class was the best performing but has performed poorly in the past two consecutive terms

  • The principal has appointed you and three others to find out the causes

  • Suggest how the class can be helped

  • Proper report format required (Heading, Introduction, Method, Findings, Conclusion, Recommendations, Signing Off)

Cloze Test (10 marks):

• Complete a passage on the Competency-Based Education (CBE) Curriculum in Kenya, featuring:

  • Development of competencies rather than rote memorization

  • Collaborative learning and facilitators

  • Performance tasks, projects, and experiments

  • Creativity, communication, and critical thinking

  • Social responsibility and computer/digital literacy

  • Producing responsible citizens

Oral Skills (30 marks):

• Oral Song Analysis – Read the harvest song

  • Identify features of oral songs (call and response, direct translation, repetition, direct address, sound patterns)

  • Live performance techniques for the last line

  • Preparation for performing before an audience (rehearsal, memorization, costumes, breathing exercises)

• Group Discussion Skills – As chairperson, what you could have done to prevent chaos

• Sound Grouping – Group words according to /k/, /s/, and /ʃ/ sounds (Chandelier, seek, cease, cat, shirt, kit, chef, Christmas, celebrate)

• Vowel Sound Identification – Underline words with different vowel sounds

• Intonation – Identify falling/rising intonation for sentences

• Conversation Analysis – Read dialogue between Wakonyo and Kebu

  • Three strengths in Wakonyo’s speaking and listening skills (empathy, encouraging language, active listening, turn-taking, courteous language, greetings)

  • Three instances where interruption would be welcome (clarification, correction, agreement, adding information)

📗 Paper 2 – Comprehension, Literary Appreciation & Grammar (80 Marks)

Comprehension (20 marks):

• Read and answer questions on “Black Men in Public Space” by Brent Staples

• Topics covered:

  • Author’s race (black man)

  • Irony in the second paragraph (woman fears him but he is a softy)

  • Why the woman thought he was a mugger

  • Reasons for his surprise, embarrassment, and dismay

  • Police behavior implications (ineffective/inefficient/prejudiced)

  • Why author mentions “white or black” women

  • Meaning of “danger they perceive is not a hallucination”

  • Main point of the passage

  • Vocabulary: affluent, pedestrians

Literary Appreciation – Excerpt (25 marks):

• Analyze an excerpt from John Lara’s The Samaritan (President Bibo Dibonso)

• Key focus areas:

  • Name of the Chair (Miniko Menkiti) and how he was made Chair

  • Themes (change, politics/leadership)

  • Stylistic devices (idiomatic expressions, similes, metaphors, personification, dialogue, euphemism)

  • Character traits of President Dibonso (emotional, judgmental, cautious, observant)

  • Events after the excerpt

  • Mood (tensed)

  • Grammar transformation

  • Vocabulary: haywire

  • Whether the summit achieved its initial goal (No – Path Alpha was adopted instead)

Poetry (20 marks):

• Analyze the poem “A Militant’s Poem” by Jorge Rebelo

• Key focus areas:

  • What the poem is about (freedom fighter, liberation, justice)

  • Society the persona comes from (dictatorial, war-torn, unjust)

  • Stylistic devices (apostrophe, repetition, hyperbole, simile)

  • Relationship between persona and Mother (warm/loving)

  • Character traits of the persona (courageous, determined, just, loving, caring)

  • Vocabulary: combat, shatter

  • Symbolism of “Mother” (country)

  • Question tags

Grammar (15 marks):

• Sentence transformation (What…, Dangerous…, comparative degree, passive voice, twice as, no sooner)

• Verb forms (begin → begun, hang → hanged, cast → cast)

• Word formation (literate → illiteracy, strain → strenuous, crisis → crises)

• Idioms (blessing in disguise, bite the bullet, take the bull by the horns)

📙 Paper 3 – Imaginative Composition & Set Text Essays (60 Marks)

Imaginative Composition (20 marks):

• Option A: Write a composition beginning: “When I saw Jairus rushing towards me, I sensed that something was amiss…”

• Option B: Write an essay on how to reduce indiscipline cases among students.

Compulsory Set Text – The Samaritan by John Lara (20 marks):

• Essay topic: “Leaders who pursue self-interests often subject citizens to a lot of suffering.”

• Key characters to discuss:

  • Mayor Mossi – Refuses to launch Samaritan App; sabotages anti-corruption efforts; calls violent rallies; attempts bribery; municipal capture

  • Ramdaye – Deputy Mayor; corrupt road contracts; sells fake title deeds; Rodengate Scandal; impeaches Mossi

  • Seymour – Secretary for Planning; bribes for approvals; drug trafficking; Black Swan Gang; ruins lives

  • Ted King – Secretary for Health; “eats” a whole hospital; corrupt tenders; illiterate and perpetually drunk

  • Bembe – Inspector General of Police; extortion; Madingo Golf Club on grabbed land; violence

  • Ian Jaden – Principal Judge; Rodengate Scandal; selective justice; conflict of interest

  • Basdeo – Opposition leader; bribes journalists; incites tribalism

  • Narine – Principal; abandons Nicole; prioritizes school reputation over justice

Optional Set Texts (20 marks) – Choose ONE:

Option A: The Sins of the Fathers by Charles Mungoshi

• Essay topic: “Parents who are overly controlling make their children fail to realize their full potential in life.”

• Key points:

  • Guitar incident – Rwafa breaks Rondo’s guitar; instills fear; Rondo pees in his shorts

  • Job arrangement – Rwafa arranges job; calls Rondo “slob”; destroys self-esteem

  • Marriage disapproval – Rwafa disapproves Selina due to tribal enmity; walks out

  • Birthday party raving – Rwafa raves about enemies; public humiliation

Option B: Parliament of Owls by Adipo Sidang

• Essay topic: “When the citizens in Parliament of Owls suffer, the blame squarely lies on the Royal Owl.”

• Key points:

  • Assassinations – Arum Tidi killed; Osogo loses 23 family members

  • Oppressive laws – Moonlight Law restricts movement; curfew from 6 pm

  • Discrimination – Owls vs. other birds; “two types of birds”

  • Taxation – Moonlight tax benefits only royal tree

  • Controlled population – Royal Owl feeds on other birds; snakes eat eggs

Option C: An Artist of the Floating World by Kazuo Ishiguro

• Essay topic: “Sometimes professional duties may land people into troubles.”

• Key points:

  • Propagandist artist – Ono creates patriotic paintings; blamed after war

  • Social rejection – Loses respect and dignity; distancing from society

  • Family troubles – Noriko’s marriage negotiations affected

  • Kuroda – Ono’s mentorship leads to Kuroda’s arrest and ruin

  • Guilt – Deep psychological torment and regret

  • Rejection by youth – Younger generation criticizes him

Who Should Use This Bundle?

What Makes This Bundle Special?

✅ Authentic MUSJET Material

These are actual Joint Examination papers from the Kakamega Muslim Sponsored Joint Examination consortium, known for producing high-quality KCSE preparation materials.

✅ Up-to-Date Content

All questions, passages, and topics are current and aligned with the latest KCSE syllabus for the July 2026 examination.

✅ Student-Centered Design

Clear instructions, ample writing space, and a self-evaluation section encourage independent learning and self-improvement.

✅ Teacher-Approved

Used and trusted by schools across Kenya as a reliable benchmark for student performance.

✅ Comprehensive Coverage

All three papers cover the entire KCSE English syllabus with detailed marking schemes.