​Enhancing English oral skills is crucial for students preparing for the KCSE exams. To facilitate interactive learning, group discussions, and peer teaching, a suitable resource is a set of well-crafted revision questions. These questions serve as prompts for engaging conversations, allowing students to practice their speaking and listening skills while discussing various topics.

The downloadable KCSE revision questions provided cover a wide range of oral skills, including debates, presentations, interviews, and role-plays. Each question is designed to encourage critical thinking, creativity, and effective communication.

Group discussions play a vital role in enhancing oral skills, as they promote active participation and the exchange of ideas. Students can take turns expressing their opinions, listening attentively to others, and building upon each other's thoughts. Peer teaching further strengthens understanding and mastery of the English language, as students learn from one another's strengths and weaknesses.

​Welcome to the comprehensive collection of KCSE English Questions for Form 4 students, specifically focusing on Oral Skills and Narratives. This resource is designed to aid students in their revision process by providing a diverse range of questions that cover key aspects of oral communication and narrative writing.

By practicing with these questions, students can enhance their oral presentation skills and develop a strong understanding of narrative techniques. The free downloads in .docx and .pdf formats ensure easy accessibility and convenience for students.

​Utilize this invaluable resource to sharpen your English language proficiency and excel in your KCSE examinations. Let's embark on this journey of effective oral communication and captivating storytelling!

​Henrik Ibsen is a friend of yours living in Norway. He is interested in African dishes and has written to you an e-mail requesting for a recipe of your favourite meal. Write a response to his e-mail and in your mail, instruct him how to cook your favourite meal. Remember to include the ingredients, method of cooking and what the meal can be served with. The meal is intended to serve four people.

POINT OF INTERPRETATION
i. (a) Functional  writing
E – mail
Format  = 5mks

• (ii)
  
• E – mail  To: authentic e-mail address format e.g. henrikibsen  @gmail.com  ½ mark
• From: senders e-mail e.g. Onyango @ yahoo.com ½ mark
• Date: e.g. 25/7/2013  ½ mark
• Subject: Recipe of e.g. Ugali for four ( whatever favorite African dish)  ½ mark
• Salutation : Dear Henrick ( appropriate salutation)  ½ mark
• Validation: Your friend (appropriate validation) ½ mark 
• Sender: Name of sender – first name e.g. Robert ½ mark to indicate familiarity with recipient.

(iii) Recipe

• Title  - meal /Dish – ½ mark
• Ingredients  -  ½ mark
• Method  -  ½ mark

(b) Content / Body
The content is derived from the requirement of the question;

• This is an e-mail to a friend. It is therefore a friendly mail.
• The sender must / should inquire after the welfare (health) of the recipient i.e. Greetings – ½ mark
• How Norway is etc. -  ½ mark
• Give a brief description /introduction ( ½ mark) of the meal to be prepared in terms of its nutritional value. ½ mark.
• Ingredient
  Any six ingredients of the dish and their amounts / measures x ½ mark each =3marks e.g. 200g of Sukuma wiki (Kales)
• Method:
  a description of the method the meal e.g. sauté the sukuma wiki (Kales) in a shallow frying pan for 3 minutes.
• At least four steps in preparing the meal x ½ = 2marks
• Serving
  give instructions for serving the meal e.g. serve while hot  ( 1mark)
• What to be served with  1mark
  
• How many people it will serve – four people. 1mark

(c) Languages Aptness / linguistic ability = 5marks
A  =5mks, B = 4mks, C =3mks  D =1 OR 2 marks
Marking instructions:

• The e- mail addresses must be in small letters i.e the lower case . If not = 0mks
• Accept numbered / itemised instructions in describing methods of preparation
• Award a linguistic ability mark of 1-5 marks based on the examiner impression of the candidates ability.
• In awarding the mark , consider:
  • The candidates linguistic ability
  • The candidates innovativeness
  • The tone of the e-mail, since the candidate is writing to a friend, the tone ought to be informal
• Appropriate use of Register. A candidate who employs cookery register should  score highly in languages e.g. bauste, sauté, roast, dice, simmer stew etc.

Total =(20marks).

The mobile phone is steadily 1 ______________  an empowerment tool, revolutionizing the work place 2_________________  contributing to the emergence  3 _______________ a smarter, more efficient work environment, says a new report.
The Vodafone connected worker report released recently notes 4________________  mobile phones can be used to improve and potentially save lives in global supply chains.
The recent report says high mobile phone penetration in emerging markets 5________________  as Kenya enables buyers to conduct anonymous text-based surveys quickly and cheaply across their supply chains to gather information 6______________  safely in the work environment. 
It argues that firms in such regions are increasingly focused on ensuring working conditions and pay in their global supply chains are acceptable by 7________________ mobile solutions to gather anonymous data 8______________  workers.
Kenya’s Safaricom, for 9________________ , has offered the M – Pesa payroll service since 2011 for a quick, safe, convenient and affordable way of sending employees’ wages or salaries 10_______________ to their mobile phones via M-Pesa.                                                       (10mks)

1. Becoming 
2. and 
3. of 
4. that 
5. such 
6. on
   
7. using
   
8. from
   
9. example/instance
   
10. directly

​Fashion is a term used commonly to describe a popular style of clothes worn at a particular time. A fashion remains popular for a few months or years before being replaced by yet another fashion.

During the mid-1800s, mass production of clothing made fashionable clothes available to more people at lower prices. People of all social classes began to wear similar styles of clothing. Today, it is easier to identify an expensive garment by the quality of its fabric and manufacturer than by its style.

Through the years, fashions in games and sports have influenced the way people dress. During the 1700s, people in England adopted simpler clothing styles after they became interested in fox hunting and other outdoor sports. Today, many people wear special clothing for activities such as golf, horse riding, hunting and tennis.
​
Wars have also affected the style of dress in some countries. European soldiers returning from crusades during 1100s and 1200s brought back various eastern ideas of dress styles. The crusaders also returned with rich silks and other textiles not available in Europe.

​ The development of new dyes, machinery and textiles has greatly affected most areas of fashion, especially on clothing. The style of dress has changed frequently in countries that have highly mechanised production systems. During the 1700s, new dyes made new colour combination possible. In the late 1700s, the invention of the toothed cotton gin, the power loom and the foot and water powered machinery for spinning and weaving made factory production of cloth possible.

After the Industrial Revolution began in Europe in the 18th century, it became increasingly possible to produce cloth and clothing quickly and inexpensively. The invention of foot and water powered machinery stimulated the development of sewing machine. Barthelemy Thimonnier of Paris patented the first practical machine in 1830. Improved versions soon followed, including on Isaac M. Singer of Pittstown, New York, in 1851.

Fashionable clothing styles began to spread rapidly from the upper classes to the middle and working classes in the West. As communication improved, styles also spread to members of the elite classes in other parts of the world. Mass production of clothing meant that the traditional clothing styles of Africa, Asia, and the Americas were largely replaced by everyday European styles.

As national economies grow increasingly international, clothing styles have become correspondingly global. Young people in Johannesburg and Jakarta, Boston and Buenos Aires, New York and Nairobi all tend to wear the same kind of clothing. However, different cultures have modified these originally European styles in accordance with local values and lifestyles.
​
In particular, religious beliefs have influenced the clothing that women wear in public. Thus, a woman in Iran may wear blue jeans and a T-shirt at home, but cover the up with an enveloping robe called a chador when she goes outside. In addition, many people enjoy wearing their traditional clothing on holidays and other special occasions for reasons of national or ethnic pride. Fashion change includes both short-term fluctuations in style and longer-term trends. Two trends seen in the 20th century seem likely to continue in the future. The first of these is the blurring of gender boundaries.

​Fashionable clothing of the 19th century made very sharp distinctions between men’s and women’s clothing in colour, shape, fabric, and decoration. Gradually these distinctions have broken down, especially when women claimed masculine items of clothing for themselves. Trousers and tailored suits are two notable examples of men’s styles now worn regularly by both men and women. Today’s standard wardrobe includes a large number of garments that are essentially engendered(neither male nor female), including T-shirts, jeans, casual jackets, and many kinds of special sports clothing, such as running shorts and sweat suits.

At the same time, true unisex clothing is very rare and is likely to remain so. Men’s and women’s tailored business suits, for example , can be regarded as simply two versions of the same basic garment, but they are generally very different in shape and in details, such as on which side the buttons are placed. Even outwardly ungendered items, such as jeans, are usually made in slightly different versions for men and women.

An important function of clothing is to serve as a signifier of social identity, including gender, and that is likely to remain true. A second continuing long-term fashion trend is the increasing importance of casual and sports attire in the overall wardrobe of both men and women. Tailored suits as business attire are now rapidly giving way to more casual dress.

Innovations .in textiles and clothing often appear first in specialised sports clothing and then rapidly spread to everyday dress. Just as clothing sends signals about gender, it carries messages about situations and occasions; special formal attire of some sort will continue to be part of fashion for the foreseeable future. However, such clothing is likely to become even more occasion-specific than it is today, and the trend toward ever more casual everyday dress is expected to continue.
​
Today, fashion has become a multi-million dollar global industry, attracting millions of highly-trained designers, hairdressers, jewellers, beauticians and models, and controlling space in prime premises that house fashion chain stores in most cities of the world. In modern –day world, a mere global village, fashion ideas and styles move quickly across continents-what happens in the fashion centres of Paris and New York soon affects fashion in Australia, China and across the globe. Beauty contests and fashion shows are two ways in which the fashion industry market its wares to a word consumed with changing tastes in fashion. 

a) How is fashion determined? (1mk)
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
b) Explain why in the 1800s people of all social classes began to wear similar styles of clothing (2mks)
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
c) How did the development of new dyes affect fashion? (1mk)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
d) In what ways have games and sports influenced the way people dress? (2mks)
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
e) Name three machines that made factory production of clothes possible.  (3mks)
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
f) Explain how traditional clothing styles came to be replaced by everyday European styles.       (2mks)
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
g)Identify and explain three fashion trends mentioned in the passage  (3mks)
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
h)How are different cultures dealing with global clothing styles?  (2mks)
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
i)Explain the meaning of the following words and phrases as used in the passage.    (4mks) 

Mass production ……………………………………………


Fluctuations……………………………………………………


Distinctions……………………………………………………


Innovations………………………………………………………

​

​READING COMPREHENSION
a)Fashion is determined by time and events(1mk)

b)Cloths were produced in large quantities; making fashionable clothes available to more people. (2mks)

c)The development of dyes made new colour combinations possible    (1mk)

d)Games and sports have influenced the way people dress because of the need to dress differently for different sports.     (2mks)

e) The three machines that made factory production of clothes possible were toothed cotton gin; the power loom; and the foot and water powdered machinery for spinning and weaving. (3mks)

f) This was as a result of mass production and improved communication. (2mks)

g) Three fashion trends mentioned in the passage are the blurring of gender boundaries, true unisex clothing and casual and sports attire. (3mks)

h) Different cultures have modified these originally European styles in accordance with local values and lifestyles. (2mks)

i) Mass production………………………………..made in large quantities.

ii) Fluctuations……………………………………….changes

iii) Distinctions…………………………………………differences

iv) Innovations……………………………………..new ideas   (4mks)

CLOZE TEST (10 MKS)
 
One …………………… (1) Njeri was walking home…………………………(2)school. She stopped at the………………………(3)centre to buy a kilo of sugar for………………………… (4) mother.

​As the sugar was weighed, Njeri saw two bees struggling to come out of the sugar. The shopkeeper did not see the bees  as he concentrated on his work. The bees crawled on the shopkeeper’s hand and tried to fly away but ……………………………(5).

​They fell down on the sugar. The shopkeeper went on with…………………………(6)business of putting some sugar on the scales without noticing what was………………………...(7) The sugar was now on the weighing machine.

Satisfied it was one ………………………….(8)the shop keeper was about to scoop and put the sugar into a brown paper………………………..(9) when Njeri drew his attention to the bees. He removed them with a ladle and thanked Njeri ………..………………(10) much.

CLOZE TEST (10MARKS)
1) Day
2) From
3) Shopping
4) Her
5) Failed
6) His
7) Happening
8) Kilogram
9) Bag
10) Very

COMPREHENSION
Hare, Elephant and Hippo
One day Hare, popularly known as Ogila Nyakarondo, met Elephant on his way to the forest. As Hare is a cunning and clever animal, he wanted to fool Elephant on some issue. He started talking to Elephant; ‘ Elephant my brother, good morning. What is the matter? Why are you walking alone like that my friend? Why don’t you ask me to walk along with you through the forest?

After they had walked together for some time Hare said, ‘Elephant my brother, I want to go on a rope- pulling contest with you. I know that I can defeat you miserably, for I am stronger than you.’ Elephant replied, ‘iii! Ogila Nyakarondo, you are too small to contest with me. You are playing about, my brother. Think twice.

They then planned to go on a contest the next day in the forest, but Elephant went laughing, thinking that Ogila could do nothing to him.

The same day, Ogila met with Hippo and started talking to him saying, ‘ Hippo my brother, I want you to contest with me  one of these days. We shall pull a rope across the forest and see who will be the winner.’ Hippo said, ‘ Don’t play with me , Hare my brother, you are just too small to contest with me.’ He made the same plan, just as he had planned with Elephant to pull the rope in the contest across the forest.

The next morning, Hippo and Elephant went to each side of the forest thinking that they were going to contest with Hare. They started pulling the rope. Meanwhile Hare was sitting on a high hill looking at what was happening below. He sang a song to taunt Elephant and Hippo. As he sang, Hippo and Elephant pulled even harder. They pulled and pulled and got very tired. At dusk, they almost fainted and stopped pulling.

Hare immediately ran to Elephant and asked,’ am I not great?’ elephant told Hare, ‘ Oh Hare my brother, I have agreed that you are really great. I have had it tough the whole day.’

Hare then ran to Hippo and told him the same thing he had told Elephant. Hippo wondered at the strength of the Hare and said, ‘ Hare my  brother, I have just realized that you are very strong. In fact you should be made the king of the jungle.’ Hare went away merrily playing his guitar.
(Adapted from African Oral Literature for schools by Jane Nandwa and Austin Bukenya, Longman Kenya.)

• (i) Classify the above narrative. (2 marks)
• (ii)  How was hare popularly known? (1 marks)
• (iii) Why was elephant so sure that the hare could not beat him in the contest?(2 marks)
• (iv) Why did hare sing when the Elephant and Hippo were pulling the rope? (2 marks)
• ​(v) At what time and why did the elephant and the hippo stop pulling? (2marks)
• (vi)What is the moral lesson in this story? (1marks)
• (vii)Identify and illustrate any two features of oral narratives in the story.  (4marks)
• (vi) Discuss the character of:
  • a. Hare. (2marks)
  • b.​ Elephant. (2marks)
• (vii) Explain the meaning of the following words as used in the passage. (2marks)
  • a. Contest……………………………………………………………………………………..
  • b. Merrily……………………………………………………………………………………..

• i. Trickster narrative.(1mark).The hare fooled Hippo and elephant in believing they were competing with him.(1 mark)
• ii. Ogila Nyakarondo
• iii. He knew that he was stronger than hare.(1mark).Hare was also of small size.(1mark)
• iv. To taunt Elephant and Hippo.(2marks)
• v. At dusk.(1mark).because they got very tired and were almost fainting.(1mrk)
• vi. 
  • we should not be arrogant and proud
  • To be clever and witty (Any relevant-1mark)
• vii. 
  • Opening formula(1mark)-One day(1marks)
  • -Timelessness (1mark)-One day (1mark)
  • -Personification (1mark)-Hare, Elephant and Hippo talking-Hare plays the guitar
  • -Element of Fantasy (1mark)-Animals talking-Hare plays the guitar (Any two illustrated points)
• viii.
  • -witty,clever,cunning(1mark)Illustration(1mark)
  • -foolish,arrogant,proud(1mark)Illustration(1mark)
• ix.
  • ​Contest-competition(1mark)
  • merrily-happily(1mark)

THE RIVER AND THE SOURCE:
Such an experience is, however, very hard to shake off and now they were consciously trying to get another baby and as sometimes happens in such cases nothing happened.  She remained confoundingly slim for the remainder of the year; and the next.  It was too much.  She forgot her earlier good intentions and one day actually accused him of having deliberately given her chloroquin to make her sterile.  He was so angry that he stood up and lifted his hand as if to strike.  He was actually foaming at the mouth.  Then he turned on his heels and left the house.  She tried to keep up her anger.  After all she had been the wronged one, but when he had not come by late that night and on the following day, her anger turned to alarm and raw fear.  Where could he be? He had been in an accident? Had he committed suicide? Had he left her? If he had she had only herself to blame.
But that evening, he came home smelling like a brewery.  He offered no explanation and she asked none; however family life continued somewhat uneasily for they were both still too young to give way to each other.
Questions:

• 1. Explain what happens before this extract. (2mks)
• 2. “Such an experience is, however, very hard to shake off ….” Explain in details which experience this is. (3mks)
• 3. Explain the major theme in this extract. (2mks)
  
• 4. Discuss two traits each of ‘she’ and ‘he’. (4mks)
• 5. Explain, from your knowledge of the novel, how the fortunes of the couple turned around.   (2mks)
• 6. Explain three styles found in this extract. (4mks)
• 7.
  
  • ​(i) Then he turned on his heels and left the house.  (Rewrite beginning: On his heels….)
  • (ii) After all, she had been the wronged one. (Add a question tag).
  • (iii) Such an experience is, however, hard to shake off. (Rewrite using inversion)..
• 8. Explain the meaning of: (2mks)
  • (a) Confoundingly.
  • (b) Raw fear.
• 9. Explain what happens after this extract. (3mks)

COMPREHENSION:
How to dress to impress, how to communicate to invoke trust, how to posture to exude confidence, 
how to stand out as the best above the rest are all challenges that we persistently face when we compete for jobs, positions and even social acceptance.

We live in a society that judges us primarily by our physical appearance and ability to advance out propositions.  Those who have the gift of garbs, the skill in creating an impression and the art of swag tend to make it further in the path of life as compared to those who sit pretty waiting for manna to fall and for ability to be recognized.

Quite philosophically, we can postulate that every time we step out into the world, we face intense scrutiny and vetting from all those around us.  Our neighbours scrutinize our behavior to determine whether the home front is pleasant or tumultuous, colleagues examine our demeanor to gauge our propensity to win or lose clients assess our conduct to deliver on promises and strangers create an impression of whether our persona is repulsive or attractive just from the first glance.

In fact, everywhere we turn, there’s sure to be someone judging whether or not we are who they think we are.  Due to this persistent societal inspection we learn that image is everything and invest heavily in our outward appearance.  And for those who understand just how pivotal it all is, they invest even more heavily in the ‘inward’ appearance that provides the zest, zeal and gusto to face with enthusiasm no matter what.  While image is everything, it’s nothing void of intricate preparation.  As we venture for job interviews, business pitches or even social engagements, we are tasked with anticipating all technical questions that could be posed, preempting all personal issues that could be raised and predicting any historical sensitive occurrences that could be revisited.

Even more critically we are expected to conduct background and emotional intelligence on those we shall come face to face with in the judging panel.  Most panels tend to consist of three types of people; the neutral, the balanced and the biased.  Those who are neutral are often fence-sitters keen on taking the safe middle ground.  Where they could make a decisive choice, they make generalized conclusions; they make more decisive ones often rationalizing why.  Those who are biased unashamedly take a stance based on their predispositions and values.  They are often inclined towards a candidate who is their tribe, gender, schoolmate or friend.  They have no qualms going out of their way to defend their preference.

Without doubt we have all been victims of the three personalities, seldom to our pleasure and frequently to our dismay.  The vetting you and I undergo in our daily endeavours is not at all easy.  Yet in the success and failures we learn to improve for the next encounter.

As we face the realities of constant scrutiny and vetting, it must have been interesting to watch our Cabinet Secretaries during the recently concluded vetting exercise.  The kid-glove approach that was applied with many of the candidates suggested that the exercise was more of a rubber stamp for the nominations made.  The lukewarm manner in which technical competence was established, personal character was unearthed and historical scandals or grey areas were clarified made us realize that what the candidates had undergone was a field day in comparison to the grilling sessions we endure in our quests for jobs.  Indeed, watching the events unfold made me wonder whether we currently have a constitution whose tenets are ahead of its time.  Whatever the case, it’s refreshing that we have embarked on the journey.

Moving forward, as our new executive starts its mission to help us all fulfill our dreams, let’s hope they will work with honesty, dignity and utmost professionalism.  Let’s pray that they will endeavour to exceed our expectations, proving that despite neutrality and bias witnessed in select cases, they were worth every penny.  Finally, start the week more balanced than neutral, won’t you!
(Angela Ambitho, Standard on Sunday, May 19, 2013)

You have reported in form one in your new school after completion of your primary school education.Write a letter to a close friend you learned with informing him/her of your well being and how you are coping with your new life at school.Make it as interesting as possible. (20mks)

​Write a composition that portrays the meaning of this saying; (20 Mks)

​ORAL SKILLS.
(a) For each of the words below, write down another word with similar pronunciation.

• (I) Claws …………..
• (ii) Plum  …………..
• (iii) Coarse  …………..
• (iv) Profit  …………..

(b) Supply a word that means the same as the given word. (5 Mks)

• (i) Guard  …………..
• (ii) Watery …………..
• (iii) Jump  …………..
• (iv) Laden …………..
• (v) Tie   …………..

(c) Give three features of each of the following genres of oral literature. (12 Mks)

• (i) Legends …………..
• (ii) Myths …………..
• (iii) Aetiological narratives  …………..

(d) Explain four qualities of a good story teller.  ………….. (8 Mks)
(e) Give two other terms that mean the same as the term oral literature. (1 Mk)

​GRAMMAR
(a) Construct a sentence each using the following words. (2 Mks)

• (i) Chauffeur
• (ii) gang

(b) Fill in the blanks with an appropriate verb from the brackets. (6 Mks)

• (i) The cost of living…………………... too high (is / are)
• (ii) The baby……………………………….. to bed early. (goes/go)
• (iii) The class………………………. Ordered out of the laboratory. (was / were)
• (iv) Every boy ……………………….. gone to the market. (have / has)
• (v) Argentina ……………… the winner of the 1986 football cup. (was/ were)
• (vi) the selection board………………………... to sit next Wednesday. (is/are)

​(c) Correct the following sentence. (2 Mks)

• (i) John’s grammer is weird, she misspells words carelessly. ………………...

(d) Fill in the gaps in each of the following sentences with the right article. (5 mks)

• (i) We arrived ……………………….. hour before time and therefore …………………………… show had not begun.
• (ii) The course takes ……………………………….. year.
• (iii) I thought I heard …………………………… noise outside.
• (iv) Everybody would like …………………………… honest employee.

(d) Change the following verbs into their simple past and construct a sentence each.

• (i) Walk …………………………………………………….
• (ii) Shove …………………………………………………….
• (iii) Shout …………………………………………………….
• (iv) Care …………………………………………………….
• (v) Cry …………………………………………………….

​A hundred years ago, there was no international agreement concerning the treatment of war casualties; each country made its own arrangements and very inadequate these were.

In 1854, however, Florence Nightingale took a band of nurses to care for the wounded in the Crimean war. Her action interested a Swiss, Hernri Dunant, who later gained first hand experience after the battle of Solferino in 1859.

​He saw thousands of wounded soldiers unattended and helpless and their terrible suftering impressed him profoundly. 

He returned to Switzerland determined to rouse public opinion and began by securing the support of four personal friends. They drew up a scheme and in 1863 invited representatives of sixteen European states (including Great Britain) to Geneva to discuss it.

In 1864, the Swiss government convened a diplomatic conference of the sixteen states concerned and on 22nd August, the Geneva Convention was signed.

Its primary objective as to establish the principle that it is the duty of belligerents to collect and care for the sick and wounded, irrespective of nationality, and these casualties, the ambulances and hospitals in which they arc placed, and the doctors, nurses and staff attending them are always to be regarded as neutral.

As a compliment to Switzerland, its flag, a white cross on a red ground, was reversed, and the Red cross on a white ground became the symbol of neutrality. 

Dunant’s committee of five became what has since been known as the International Committee of the Red Cross. This consists of Swiss citizens, and its functions are to maintain Red Cross principles and act as a medium between governments in the relief of war sufferers.
(From British Red Cross Pamphlet)

(a) What first led to Henry Dunant’s interest in war casualties? (2 Mks)
…………………………………..
(b) He later gained “……... first hand experience.” Explain the meaning of the underlined phrase according to the passage. (2 Mks)
………………...
(e) (i) Discuss the steps Henry Dunant followed in his determinations to rouse public opinion in Switzerland. (3 Mks)
………………………...
(ii) Give evidence to show that he succeeded. (2 Mks)
…………………...
(d) State one major difference between the conference called by Dunant and that called by the Swiss government. (2 Mks)
………………………….
(f) Give two reasons to show that Switzerland deserved to be complimented for the existence of the international Red Cross Society. (4 Mks)
………………………...
(g) Explain the meaning of the following words and phrases as used in the passage. (3 marks)

• (i) Inadequate …………………..
• (ii) Scheme ………………….
• (iii) Succour ……………………..
• (iv) The symbol of neutrality ……………………..
• (v) Act as a medium ……………………...

​CLOZE TEST (10 Mks)
Read the passage below and fill in the blank spaces with the most appropriate word.
Josia’s mind went back to the final celebration before his departure, (1) ___________________ he had felt the most important being (2) ___________________ earth, (3) ____________________ here no one took the slightest (4) ________________________ . He stood uncertainly
(5) ______________________ of the gigantic home (6) _______________ ______ knowing what to do. A boy, looking questioningly at him, (7) ____________________ Josiah a chance. “where do I go?” he asked foolishly (8) __________________ as if that (9) __________________ 
the signal they had been waiting (10) _________________, from every hook and comer boys began to gather.

​The Ogre and the New Mother
A long time ago, there was a pregnant woman whose husband had gone to work in a distant land. He was a blacksmith. This woman got a baby and an ogre played mid-wife to her. He also played the role of her nurse, cooking for her and gathering firewood.

Every time the ogre came back from the forest with firewood, he would pretend to offer the food to her saying:” Wagaciari nduke tuhiuhio” (Newly delivered mother, take this delicacy).

But before she could reach the food, he would withdraw it saying:” Warega ngaria.” He then munched down the food himself He would repeat the same with gruel saying,:”Wagaciari nduke gacuru. Warega nganywa.” And drank it himself

This practice continued and the nursing mother became very thin and weak. The ogre himself became fat and sleek.

In those days, women used to put out castor seeds to dry in the sun. Doves used to come and steal these seeds. So one day, the woman talked to one of the doves saying: “You dove, you have eaten all my castor seeds. Now, if I ask you to carry out a small errand for me, can you do it?”
“Yes, I can,” answered the dove.
“Right, I would like you to fly to the land of the blacksmiths and once you get there, pass the following message:

Muthuri uguturai I say, oh you blacksmith
Cangarara- il- ca Cangarara- I- ca
Turatura narua- iI Hasten to finish whatever you’re doing
Cangarara- iI- ca Cangarara- I- ca
Mukaguo niaachiarire-i Your wife is with child
Cangarara- i- ca Cangarara- i- ca
Agiciaithio ni irimu- I An ogre is playing nurse to her
Cangarara- I- ca C’angarara- i- ca
Ekwiruo nduke tuhiuhio-I She’s being offered food 
Cángarara- i: ca Cangarara- I- ca
Na warega ngaria-I But the ogre eats it all
Cangarara- iI- ca Cangarara- i- ca

The dove did as she was told. When she got to the place where blacksmiths were working, she sang the song. The blacksmiths heard the dove’s song and asked each other,” Who left his wife expecting a child?”

One of them confessed he had and so the others asked him to go and find out what was going on at home.When he got home, he found that his wife had given birth to a baby boy but the mother was very thin and weak. She told the husband the whole story and how ogre was eating all her food and tormenting her.
​
By this time, the ogre was in the forest gathering firewood. The husband sharpened his spear and hid himself in the house.Presently, the ogre came home with a load of firewood on his back.

 He dropped thefirewood with a thud and malevolently rebuked the nursing mother: “Wagaciairi urogua namururumo ucio.”(Newly delivered mother, may you fall with a similar thud!)

The nursing mother answered back, “O nawe urogua.” (You too!)

The ogre was surprised. He said,” You surprise me with your arrogance today. Could it be that the blacksmith has come back?”

The woman’s husband was very angry. He could see all that was going on from his hiding place. Even before the ogre had finished talking about the gruel, the husband stood up, took aim and speared the ogre in the mouth knocking him flat on the floor.Before he died, the’ ogre cried with aloud voice saying. “It is just as I had said. The sojourners have come back. 

Oh dear me I am dying because of my greed!”And with these words he died.
There ends my story. But may I not end with it.

CHINSARA MOGUTA
There was once a man who had two wives. Each of his wives bore him a son. Unfortunately, one of the wives died and so one of the sons lost  his mother. The son whose mother was alive was called Jaja Mongera.

It happened that the father loved his motherless son more than he loved Jaja. Naturally Jaja’s mother was unhappy about such open favouritism and  complained bitterly about it.

For instance, she wondered why her husband took Jaja with him to the bush to trap Chinsara moguta (a. kind of wild animal) and why he never took the motherless son with him on such dangerous expeditions. . . . . ..

Usually, what happened was that the father set his trap in the bush, then left for home, leaving Jaja to keep watch over it. If a. Chinsara moguta was caught, then Jaja would take it, kill it, and carry it home.

One day, it happened that a big fat Chinsara moguta was caught by the trap which Jaja’s father had set and had left him to watch.When Jaja. raised his matchet to  kill the Chinsara Moguta. he cried and begged him to set him free.

“Please, please, do me a favour, untrap me and let me go I too will one day come to your rescue”

Jaja was quiet for a while, lost in deep thought. “ All right”, Jaja finally said with a sigh. He freed the animal, “ you can go”. Then Jaja collected his things and carried them home.

At home, he reported to his father that the trap caught nothing. But somehow his father being very shrewd man, learnt the truth, and was displeased with his son’s deceit. So he sat very quietly and never said a word, only gnashing  his teeth and throwing ugly glances at Jaja and his mother.

Early the following  morning, he told Jaja to  make the usual things they often took to the bush for trapping animals. But in addition to these, the father also  took materials that are used to constructing a house. The two went up to a place where they usually trapped Chinsara moguta. 

The father  got busy. He cut poles and grass and began to built a small hut. While the father stayed outside, Jaja assisted him from inside the hut, the two built a fine small hut. But it was an usual one. In that it had  neither a window nor a door. It puzzled the young man. He’d never seen such a hut before.

“ Father , how shall I get out and how  will you get in here? Jaja asked  in good faith. “ Don’t worry”, the father replied, “ I’ll cut and remove a portion  of the wall to make an entrance.” Jaja kept quiet and waited. Inside the hut was dark and damp. Soon  it was all quiet  outside. 

Jaja became alarmed and called  his father, but there was no response. It was all very still and deathly quite. Jaja realized that his father had gone away  and abandoned him in   the  bush that was full of wild animals. He was being punished for having freed a Chinsara moguta. 

The young  man called, wept and cried, but all in vain. Only the echo of the jungle replied. Fear  and despondency gripped  him when he realized that at night, one of the wild animals could destroy the little hut and devour him.

At home,  his mother wept and grieved for him. The father had reported that the young  man had been killed by one  of the wild animals. The woman raised the alarm and announced the death  of her son to the people.

Bitter enemity and hatred that had, for years smouldered between the couple regarding the husband’s treatment of her son, now flared up and became like a destructive forest fire.  In time, Jaja was mourned and forgotten, except for his mother who never forgave he husband for having killed her son.

Anyway, what happened was that after Jaja ‘s father went away and left  him alone in the little hut wild  animal attempted to destroy the hut, but they all failed. Lastly , the Chinsara moguta  that Jaja had helped to escape came along and asked, singing:

“ is this a patch of bush?
Or is there a human being in there? X2
On hearing the song, Jaja replied in a song, singing:

“ I am not a  patch of bush
But a human being (x3)
My father sent me to kill the Chinsara moguta
That was caught in his trap, but I let him escape”

When the Chinsara moguta heard Jaja’s song, he remembered what he had told Jaja. So he destroyed the hut and freed him. Then he led him to a hill somewhere.

“Lie ‘-down and keep still,” the Chinsara moguta told Jaja. “When you hear lots of noises made by chicken, goats, sheep and cattle, don’t open your eyes. Just keep them tightly closed. But. when you hear children’s voices calling, “Father, Father, Father, open your eyes and get up.”

Jaja Mongera obeyed the Chinsara moguta’s directives even though he was afraid. Soon he heard the noises made by all the domestic animals. But he didn’t.-. open hiseyes, he kept them closed. Then he heard the sound and voices of many chicken who called out, “Father, Father, Father”, and he opened his eyes. 

Jaja .felt mesmerized. The hill was full of cattle, sheep, goats, chicken and children, plus all the other amenities which man  needs in life. Jaja took  everything including the mothers of those children and built a large home.

Chinsara moguta disappeared and Jaja was now a rich man. Soon people began to go to Jaja Monge-ra’s home for milk and other foodstuffs which they didn’t have. Rumours about his riches reached far and wide in Kisii land. 

His mother too heard about the rich man called Jaja Mongera and became curious - could the man be her lost son ? One day she set out to go herself and find out the truth.
She went to buy milk from Jaja’s home. 

The woman looked at Jaja and found that he closely resembled her son who was supposed to have died. 

“You look so much like my son who got killed by wild animals years ago when he went hunting with his father”
Oh,” Jaja remembered, “It is strange the way human beings sometimes look so much alike, even though they may not be related”. 

“Life is indeed complicated”, the mother replied But in your  case I am  truly overwhelmed because even your names are the same. He too, was called Jaja Mongera”. 

“Well, that’s interesting,” Jaja said pulling at his beard.- “Tell me more about your son.. How did he get killed, when and where ?“ The mother- proceeded to give detailed account of the circumstances which led to her son’s death -and how the father never brought back even a bloody piece of the young man’s clothes to prove  that he had been killed by a wild animal. When she came to the conclusion of her account, Jaja was convinced he was the woman’s lost son;  They were very happy and Jaja slaughtered a huge bull and organized an elaborate feast for his mother. He invited all his neighbours to come and meet his mother. -

After some days, when the feast was over, Jaja Mongera’s mother returned to her home. She reported to her husband how she had found her son, Jaja Mongera, and that after all; he hadn’t been killed by wild animals.

On hearing the news Jaja Mongera’s father also went off to visit his son. However, Jaja hadn’t forgiven his father for the punishment he meted on him because he had freed a Chinsara Moguta. 

So instead of slaughtering a bull for him, he prepared and cooked a sick dog for the old man, and tipped off his children and his wives not to eat it. On his way back, the father fell sick and died. 

Now, Jaja Mongera went to his old home and collected his mother and the other children to come and live with him. He left his motherless; brother, who had been the father’s favourite, alone in the old home!.
(The Kisii narrative recorded by Isaiah Okiomeri)

​Mola had two wives.  The first wife was faithful and had borne him children.  The second wife was a fickle woman, greedy and jealous. Now Mola had taken a third wife, who admired him as a great chief.  She was so devoted to him that she praised him even while she worked. Whatever she was doing, grinding, pounding, or harvesting, she would praise his name in songs like this one:

Mola my husband is great like my father.
Mola my master, a lion in the hills.
When he is away, I scan the hill slopes.
His strength crushes me like the eagle crushing a buck’s shoulder blade.
I am the field for his hoe, the soil waiting for the first rains.
I hang like a liana from the mighty branches of a forest-giant.
I find shelter in his presence like the velvet monkey in the thick foliage.
Of the mahogany tree.
I am my Mola’s mola; I fit round his strong arm.
I am like the bats hanging from the ceiling of the caves in the rocks.
He is the rock that no spear can kill…

The second wife was annoyed with these praises for a husband who did not, she felt, give her enough presents.  What was worse, the singing pleased her husband so much that he lavished most of his attentions on the third wife.  So the second wife decided to sing him a song of her own.

Mola, my brother, be silent in the mountain …………

It contained many more lines one could not understand.  Mola began to sink into the ground, like a tree in a flood.  At last he disappeared altogether, and the earth covered him altogether, and earth covered his head.  The first and third wives began to wail loudly.

Mola found himself in the land below.  He traveled along a path until he came to copse.  He decided to build a house there, but as soon as he started cutting a tree, all the trees began to cry for help.  So he walked on.

Then he came to a forest where he found hundreds of mushrooms.  He collected large numbers until he was suddenly surrounded by the king’s soldiers, who accused him of stealing the royal herd.  

He said: “I was only collecting mushrooms.” He opened his bags and found animals.  He emptied his bag and the animals tuned into mushrooms again.  He looked at the soldiers but he saw only trees.

He went on and met an old woman.  She said, “guard my millet field while I am away.  But do not try to catch the birds, just chase them by shouting.” She vanished and at once a flock of orange birds descended and began to eat the millet.  He burnt his fingers and went away.  

Behind a bush he met a great lion who told him” “You are trespassing in my kingdom, but if you bring me  the fire, I will give you half of my cattle.” Mola went on and found lightning, who was sitting in an old tree.  He concluded a pact of friendship with lightning, who gave him a flaming torch.  Mola brought the torch to King Lion, who was so pleased that he gave him cows.

Suddenly, he heard the voice of his mother crying and complaining: Oh my son, who always worked for me, he used to hoe my fields! Alas for his mother! Who will now harvest my millet for me? I am old and weak!”

When Mola heard this he asked permission of the lion to return to his own country, because his old mother urgently needed help with the crops.  The lion agreed that this was a valid reason and called his guards to guide Mola to the door.  

The guards showed him a cave and Mola drove his cattle through the narrow opening.  He found himself in the bushes at the foot of the hill not far from his own village.  He drove the cows to his own Kraal.

There was a great rejoicing in his compound, when the children saw him they raced out to meet him.  The hunting dogs yelped around him.  The news soon spread; Mola has come back from the underworld a rich man.  

​His mother said: “Chase away that evil woman who bewitched you.” The villagers stoned the second wife.  The third wife took her nanga, a stringed instrument and sang:

My husband has come back from the land of graves.
He lives again like fire in the morning ………………….

​The Wise Man and His Sons
A long time ago there was a wise old man who was respected throughout Kenya because of his wisdom.  
 
When he grew old and feeble and realized that his days were coming to an end, he called his six sons to his bedside to deliver his will.

‘My dear sons,’ he said, ‘I am growing weak and old, and one of these days am going to die and leave you to take care of my wealth and perpetuate this family. I have great confidence in you, but I want to warn you that unless you live in unity and harmony you could easily get destroyed by your enemies.’

‘We promise you father,’ they replied, ‘that we shall live in unity, and we shall uphold the respect you gained over the years, and we shall take care of this family and defend our property.’

‘Once upon a time,’ he began, ‘cows lived in the wilderness like other wild beasts. They grazed in the jungle in large herds and were not afraid of the other animals. But they were constantly attacked by the other strong beasts like lions, leopards, elephants and when the cows realized that they could not live in peace in the jungle, they decided to seek help from men. 

They all agreed to live under the protection of men except for three stupid sister cows. Their names were Ndune (Red), Nyange (White), and Nguno (hornless). Ndune was as red as ochre and her eyes were fierce and had sparks like fire when she was angry. 

Her horns were long, sharp, and strong and she could scare any beast. Ndune was loved by her sisters dearly. Nyange had a white coat, as white as snow. She also had fierce horns, but looked more peaceful than Ndune, and was not so much feared, but when she was angry her white fur became whiter, and blinding to other animals. 

Nguno looked like a clown without horns, and annoyed other animals who regarded her as an abnormal creature of God who should not be attacked.

 ‘I think you know this story,’ he said
‘Yes,’ they replied, ‘but please continue, father.’
‘One day lion, who was very clever, decided to divide the three sister cows, kill them one by one, and eat them. Lion had tried to catch them before. But the three cows had fought and killed many beasts. 

Nyange and Nguno would charge their assailant from back and front while Ndune would come from the side and, with her sharp fierce horns, fierce the enemy’s stomach, tear it open, and kill him instantly. Lion could not kill any of them unless he divided them and attached them separately.

‘So one day the clever lion went and spoke to Ndune. He told her that she was respected in the jungle for her fierce horns and her beautiful red coat. He told her that if she lived apart from her sisters she would never be attacked by anyone. 

She would be made the duchess of the whole jungle kingdom. Her sisters were very ugly and annoying and that is why the three of them were constantly attacked. Ndune was very much tempted to leave her sisters when she heard what the clever lion told her. Next the lion went to Nyange and praised her beauty. He told her that she was born a peacemaker because of her white coat, and that she should have spent much of her time seeking peace in the jungle. 

He told her that if she left her fierce and domineering sister Ndune, and also avoid the company of her monstrous and abnormal sister Nguno, then lion would make her the beauty queen of the jungle and find her a good husband there. Nyange was flattered and started to think about the idea of living apart from her sisters.

‘Finally the lion went to see Nguno. He told her that she was the most peaceful cow that ever existed, and that she was highly respected for her elegant hornless head. It was risky on her part to live with her sisters who were constantly attacked by savage beasts because of their fierce horns and their provocative coats. Lion promised to protect Nguno if she deserted her sisters at once. 

Nguno, who was getting tired of fighting ceaseless battles was happy about this friendly gesture, and at once decided to desert her sisters without pausing to think it over.’

‘No sooner did she leave her sisters than she was caught by lion and killed.
‘Nyange also slipped away from Ndune the following day and went to look for lion so that she could be made the jungle queen of beauty. She too was caught and killed. Now Ndune was left alone, and she was also caught and killed. That was the fate of the three stupid cows. Had they continued to live together in unity, they would have lived.’

‘It is a very good story, father,’ said the six sons,’ and it has a great lesson in it. We shall continue to live in unity.’‘

Good, my sons,’ the old man continued, ‘I am very pleased to hear that, and I know that you will not let me down. I have one more example to show you, come closer.’ At this point he showed them six sticks, equal in size. He gave one to each of the sons. ‘Break them in two, please,’ he commanded. The sons broke the sticks at one go. 

​He asked them to break them into smaller bits, and this they did. Then he produced a bundle to his sons, and asked to pass it to one another, to examine it closely and see how it was bound. Then he asked them to break the bundle, and they all tried one after the other. None of them could manage to break the bundle, and he took it back intact.

‘You see, my sons,’ each one of you is like these cows or these sticks,’ he said. ‘If you are not united you will be destroyed like the three cows that were devoured by lion, or like the six sticks you have just destroyed. But if you stay together like this bundle of sticks, you will defeat your enemies, and you will be able to protect your property and sustain this family.’ 

‘Yes, father,’ replied his sons, ‘unity is strength and we shall always remain united.’