KCPE PAST PAPERS 2010: SOCIAL STUDIES QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

​KCPE PAST PAPERS 2010: SOCIAL STUDIES QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 

Study the map of Molu area and answer questions 1 to 7.

1. The land in Molu area slopes from _____

• A. East to West
• B. South to North
• C. North-West to South-East
• D. North-East to South-West.

2. What is the approximate area of the irrigation scheme?

• A. 10 square kilometres.
• B. 16 square kilometres.
• C. 18 square kilometres.
• D. 20 square kilometres.

3. A trader at Tau market has ordered for maize flour from a wholesale shop in Molu town.
The appropriate means of transport to use to deliver the flour would be by ___

• A. road transport
• B. railway transport
• C. water transport
• D. air transport.

4. Three of the following economic activities are carried out in Molu area except

• A. fishing
• B. farming
• C. trading
• D. mining.

5. If the area under the Game Reserve was to be converted into a farm, which one of the following crops would be suitable to plant?

• A. Coffee.
• B. Cotton.
• C. Pyrethrum.
• D. Tea.

6. Which one of the following statements correctly describes the distribution of settlements in Molu area?

• A. The settlements are evenly spread.
• B. There are few settlements in the irrigation scheme.
• C. There are some settlements along River Molu.
• D. Settlements are concentrated where there arc towns.

7. Three of the following social services are available in Molu Town. Which one is not?

• A. Health Services.
• B. Recreation services.
• C. Educational Services.
• D. Religious Services.

8. The original homeland of the Bantu was _____

• A. The Horn of Africa
• B. Bah-el-Ghazal
• C. The Congo Basin
• D. Arabian Peninsula.

9. Which one of the following titles used in Buganda Kingdom during the pre-colonial period is correctly matched with its officer’?
                 Title                 Officer

• A. Katikiro         — Prime Minister
• B. Mtwale         — Treasurer
• C. Omuwanika — Chief Justice
• D. Omulamuzi  — Army Officer

10. Which one of the following statements is true about pastoral farming among the Fulani?

• A. They keep cattle mainly for sale.
• B. They mainly keep dairy cattle.
• C. They grow fodder crops for their cattle.
• D. They migrate with their cattle according to seasons.

11. Below are duties of a school administrator.

• (i) To monitor teacher’s class attendance.
• (ii) To write minutes during staff meetings.
• (iii) To maintain discipline in the school.

The duties described above are performed by ____

• A. the school prefect
• B. the headteacher
• C. the deputy headteacher
• D. the school committee chairperson.

12. June 1st  is important in Kenya because it is the day ____

• A. freedom fighters were released from detention
• B. Kenya got internal self government
• C. the country became a republic
• D. Kenya became a multi-party state.

Use the diagram below to answer questions 13 and 14.

13. Which of the following characteristics are true about the winds marked X?

• A. They are cool and moist.
• B. They are warm and dry.
• C. They are cool and dry.
• D. They are warm and moist.

14. Which one of the following towns in Kenya experiences the effects of winds similar to the ones marked X?

• A. Nanyuki.
• B. Nakuru.
• C. Thika.
• D. Eldoret.

15. The best way to stop drug abuse in schools is by _____

• A. fencing school compounds to keep off peddlers
• B. giving heavy punishments to drug users
• C. arresting suspected drug dealers
• D. educating pupils on dangers of using drugs.

16. Which one of the following communities was ruled by a king during the pre-colonial period?

• A. The Khoikhoi.
• B. The Wanyamwezi.
• C. The Abawanga.
• D. The Ameru.

17. Below are statements about the achievements of a missionary who came to Eastern Africa in the 19th Century.

• (i) He established a mission station at Rabal.
• (ii) He wrote the first Kiswahili dictionary.
• (iii) He taught Africans to read and write.

The missionary described above is ______

• A. David Livingstone
• B. Ludwig Krapf
• C. Jacob Erhardt
• D. Johann Rebmann.

18. Which one of the following dams in Africa is correctly matched with the river on which it is located?
                 Dam             River

• A. Kariba          -- Zambezi
• B. Kindaruma   — Nile
• C. Aswan          — Volta
• D. Akosombo   — Tana

19. Different parts of the earth experience day and night at different times. This is caused by _____

• A. the movement of the moon around the earth
• B. the revolution of the earth around the sun
• C. the movement of the sun from east to west
• D. the rotation of the earth on its axis.

20. In traditional African societies, the croaking of frogs was associated with _____

• A. the coming of dry seasons
• B. the coming of good harvest
• C. the coming of rains
• D. the coming of strong winds.

21. A foreigner qualifies to apply for Kenyan citizenship after living in the country continuously for ____

• A. two years
• B. five years
• C. seven years
• D. ten years.

22. Zawadi is charged a fee everytime she goes to the open air market near her home to sell her farm produce. The money she pays goes to ____

• A. the chief of the area
• B. the county council
• C. the market attendant
• D. the constituency development fund.

23. The age-sex pyramid below represents the population of Kenya.

Which one of the following statements is true about the population of Kenya according lo the pyramid?

• A. A high percentage of the population consists of the youth.
• B. There are more males than females at all ages.
• C. The percentage of the working population is high.
• D. Half of the population is made up of old people.

24. Samoei of the Nandi and Mekatilili of the Agiriama had one thing in common. It is that both ___

• A. were opposed to the building of the railway
• B. prophesied about the coming of the Europeans
• C. foresaw defeat of Europeans by Africans
• D. resisted the British colonial rule.

25. Which one of the following statements is true about the system of government of Swaziland?

• A. Members of parliament elect the Prime Minister.
• B. All members of parliament are elected by the people.
• C. The Head of State is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces.
• D. The Queen Mother chairs cabinet meetings.

26. The main reason why Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) was established was to ____

• A. promote trade among member states
• B. fight against the spread of HIV and AIDS
• C. facilitate free movement of people within member states
• D. expand transport network in the region.

27. Which one of the following statements correctly describes a parliamentary bill?

• A. It is a document containing names of members of parliament.
• B. it is a document that shows how parliament operates.
• C. it is a proposed law waiting to be discussed in parliament.
• D. It is a law that has been passed by parliament.

28. Maria was stopped from joining a women’s group by her husband. Which one of the following freedoms was she denied? Freedom of ____

• A. expression
• B. association
• C. movement
• D. worship.

29. Which one of the following activities of European colonial rulers had positive effects on Africans?

• A. introduction of western education.
• B. Creation of reserves for Africans.
• C. Making of boundaries between colonies.
• D. Making Africans pay taxes.

30. The main economic activity carried out in the shaded area marked Q is ______

• A. mining
• B. pastoralism
• C. bee keeping
• D. crop farming.

31. The pre-historic site marked R is ____

• A. Koobi Fora
• B. Olorgesailie
• C. Fort Ternan
• D. Kariandusi.

32. The language group that entered Kenya from the direction of the arrow marked S during the pre-colonial period was ________

• A. Plains Nilotes .
• B. Cushitic speakers
• C. River Lake Nilotes
• D. Bantu speakers.

33. Which two types of forests are found in the area marked T?

• A. Temperate and Bamboo forests.
• B. Tropical and Mangrove forests.
• C. Temperate and Mangrove forests.
• D. Tropical and Bamboo forests.

34. Which one of the following marriages is presided over by the District Commissioner?

• A. Civil marriage.
• B. Christian marriage.
• C. Customary marriage.
• D. Islamic marriage.

35. Which one of the following explains why the people of Tanganyika were defeated by the Germans during the Maji Maji rebellion?

• A. The people of Tanganyika were attacked by their neighbours.
• B. Tanganyika had few warriors.
• C. The Germans were helped by the British.
• D. The Germans had better weapons.

36. Which one of the following groups of communities is found in West Africa?

• A. Sotho, Mur, Dinka,
• B. Soninke, Mandinka, Yoruba,
• C. Ndebele, Chagga, Acholi,
• D. Amhara, Shona, Baganda.

37. Which one of the following mountains in Africa was formed as a result of faulting?
A. Mt Kenya.
B. Mt Kilimanjaro.
C. The Atlas Mountains.
D. The Ruwenzori Mountains.

38. Three of the following skills were taught through apprenticeship in African traditional societies. Which one was not?

• A. Harvesting of honey.
• B. Treating the sick.
• C. Collecting firewood.
• D. Hunting for wild animals.

39. Countries in North Africa experience winter season during the months of ____

• A. December to February .
• B. March to May
• C. June to August
• D. September to November.

40. River Nile and River Niger have a common characteristic. It is that both rivers ____

• A. originate from the same highlands
• B. end in the Mediterranean Sea
• C. are navigable throughout the course
• D. have a delta at the mouth.

41. The diagram below represents a road sign.

The road sign indicates that _____

• A. pedestrians must stop
• B. there is a roundabout ahead
• C. there is danger ahead
• D. motorists should avoid overtaking.

42. Three of the following are actions which indicate that a person is a patriotic citizen. Which one is not?

• A. Welcoming visitors at one’s home.
• B. Participating in tree planting.
• C. Contributing towards famine relief.
• D. Attending rallies on national days.

43. Municipalities and County Councils are under the Ministry of ______

• A. Home affairs
• B. Education
• C. Local Government
• D. Finance.

44. Tourism is important to Kenya mainly because it ______

• A. earns foreign exchange for the country
• B. promotes international understanding
• C. leads to expansion of transport network
• D. encourages protection of wildlife.

45. Which one of the following minerals is correctly matched with the method used to mine it?
                    Mineral                     Mining method

• A. Soda Ash                     — Drilling
• B. Diatomite                    — Opencast
• C. Petroleum                   — Panning
• D. Gold                            — Dredging

46. Which one of the following groups of countries in Africa was colonized by the French?

47. Below arc statements about a political party that was formed in Kenya during the colonial period.

• (i) It supported a regional government.
• (ii) It was formed by the smaller communities.
• (iii) It was formed in 1960.
• (iv) One of its founder members was Ronald Ngala.

The political party described above is ___________

• A. Kenya African Union (KAU)
• B. Kenya People’s Union (KPU)
• C. Kenya African National Union (KANU)
• D. Kenya African Democratic Union (KADU).

48. Three of the following are soil conservation measures.
Which one is not?

• A. Mono-cropping.
• B. Crop rotation.
• C. Contour ploughing.
• D. Building of gabions.

49. In traditional African societies, goods were transported using ____

• A. vehicles
• B. trains
• C. animals
• D. bicycles.

50. In Kenya. forest areas are protected against destruction mainly because they ____

• A. make the scenery beautiful
• B. conserve water sources
• C. are sources of timber
• D. provide herbal medicine.

51. Which one of the following is a duty of the police force in Kenya?

• A. To punish law breakers.
• B. To judge cases.
• C. To defend the country.
• D. To arrest suspected criminals.

52. Which one of the following groups of people represent single parent family?

• A. Mother, daughter, son.
• B. Father, mother, son.
• C. Mother, son, nephew.
• D. Father, daughter, niece.

53. Which one of the following was a function of clan elders in traditional African Communities?

• A. To provide food to needy families. .
• B. To treat the sick members of the community.
• C. To educate the youth about their culture.
• D. To protect the land against invaders.

54. In Kenya, a person becomes the speaker of the National Assembly through ____

• A. nomination by the president
• B. election by members of parliament
• C. nomination by the electoral body
• D. election by voters.

55. Nzau, a primary school pupil assisted an elderly lady to cross a busy road. The behaviour by Nzau should be encouraged in the society because it

• A. promotes courage among children
• B. shows that children love old people
• C. makes old people live longer
• D. is a sign of respect for old people.

56. Three of the following statements are true about Kenya’s National Anthem. Which one is not?

• A. It is a form of entertainment.
• B. It unites the citizens.
• C. It promotes patriotism.
• D. It is a prayer.

57. Which one of the following is an economic right?

• A. Right to life.
• B. Right to education.
• C. Right to work.
• D. Right to privacy.

58. The Government of Kenya obtains revenue mainly through _____

• A. licence fees paid by traders
• B. taxes paid by citizens
• C. grants given by foreign countries
• D. sale of bonds.

59. The main problem facing road transport in Kenya is that ___

• A. the roads are costly to construct
• B. vehicles cause air pollution
• C. some roads are impassable during the wet season
• D. vehicles are driven carelessly.

60. Three of the following are circumstances which may lead to a loss of parliamentary seat. Which one is not? When a member of parliament ___

• A. is declared insane
• B. visits another country
• C. is jailed for over six months
• D. is declared bankrupt by a court of law.

​OTHER HELPFUL LINKS

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