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The Samaritan Essays 1

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The Samaritan Essays 1

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Abok Obilo
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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KCSE SET BOOKS ESSAY

QUESTIONS and ANSWERS


Enjoy free KCSE revision materials, essay questions and answers and
comprehensive analysis (episodic approach) of the set books including Fathers
of Nations by Paul B. Vitta, The Samaritan by John Lara, A Doll's House by Henrik
Ibsen, Blossoms of the Savannah by Henry Ole Kulet, Inheritance by David
Mulwa, A Silent Song & An Artist of the Floating World by Kazuo Ishiguro. This
blog is useful to Kenyan students preparing for KCSE; and their teachers.

M o n d a y, 1 0 A p r i l 2 0 2 3

THE SAMARITAN SET BOOK ESSAY QUESTIONS


AND ANSWERS

JOHN LARA'S THE SAMARITAN ESSAYS


QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Samaritan Essay Questions Answers Wekati

©Wafula Wekati

THE SAMARITAN ESSAYS QUESTIONS

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Standing firm in doing what is right yields good results. Using Nicole
in John Lara's The Samaritan, write an essay to validate this
statement.

Nicole, the Ethics and Innovation teacher at Sagrada Secondary School, is


the embodiment of an unwavering moralist determined to bring positive
change to Maracas Municipality. Despite facing serious resistance from the
leaders, her effort bears fruit when the corrupt leaders are apprehended.
Resoluteness in doing the right things brings victory.

Nicole stands firm when the Mayor of Maracas Municipality orders for a
halting of activities related to the Samaritan App and her firmness pays off.
The aim of the Samaritan App is to expose corruption and agitate for the
prosecution of the culprits. When he realises that the App may expose his
failures, ineptness and corrupt deeds and possibly lead to his prosecution,
Mossi-oa-Tunya declines to launch it or award Alvita and Montano, the
brains behind the innovation. He alleges that the App may turn out to be a
platform for misinformation, lies and witch-hunt. Although he
acknowledges that the school is doing a good job in nurturing visionaries
and innovators, he has jitters about giving the Samaritan App the green
light. The skit by Nicole, Alvita and Montano clearly demonstrates that the
App can be used to share sensitive information like the Municipal
Procurement Process. The Mayor is hesitant to allow its commissioning. In
an attempt to stop the operations of the App, he claims he needs time to
think, and will launch the App at his own convenient time. He orders Nicole
and Principal Narine to halt all activities regarding the App until his office
gives them the clearance. He demands that they write to the Ministry of
Education citing fundamental errors. Nicole firmly rebuts that the App
passed all tests done by senior officers at the Ministry of Education and
skillful software engineers. The Mayor tries to intimidate Nicole when he
states that he is Mossi-oa-Tunya: the smoke that thunders and a Mayor with
express mandate by the people of Maracas. He raises his voice and points
his walking stick at Nicole. He demands that she pens the letter and send a
copy to him in an hour’s time. Nicole is adamant that the matter is beyond
her since the App was taken over by the National Information and
Communication Technology Corporation and she determinedly says that she
will only do what is right. Madam Principal confirms Nicole's resolute
nature when she claims she is bound to ignore the Mayor’s orders since she
usually doesn’t compromise on what she thinks is right. In the long run,
Mayor Mossi fails to intimidate Nicole and operations of the App are not
halted. Mossi is exposed as a corrupt leader and is eventually arrested.
Nicole’s determination pays off.

Moreover, Narine, the principal, admonishes Nicole hoping that she would
abandon her quest for a better Maracas but Nicole remains steadfast until
the end when her effort bears victory. The principal acknowledges that the
Samaritan App has sent shockwaves across the municipality, driving
leaders into terrible panic. She advises Nicole to think long and hard about
the Samaritan App. Narine says she is single-handedly focused on providing
students under her care with quality education. She vows that she will not
allow any teacher to deviate from this course. She appears to be persuading
Nicole to stop the operations of the Samaritan App. She advises her, as a
senior administrator and her mother’s age mate , to know which battles to
wage, which ones to avoid, and those to defer. She avers that a young girl
like Nicole cannot battle against an elephant like Mossi. Standing firm,
Nicole tells her boss that an elephant that kills a rat is not a hero. She also
wonders if the principal would rather that they abandon the Samaritan, an
ingenious innovation, with great potential of improving the Municipality to
appease an egocentric political class. The principal offers no support for
Nicole. She instead chooses to step back. This does not dampen Nicole's
spirit. The principal feels Nicole is a headstrong girl. She is fed up. She says
she is not a house help or a secretary to keep receiving calls on behalf of
Nicole. She also feels threatened when the leaders call saying that they are
visiting Nicole at school. The principal feels that the App will not change
anything and counsels Nicole with the wise words that, “The bamboo that
bends is stronger than the oak that resists”. Nicole does not heed even when
Narine adds that, “If you can’t turn the wind, turn the sails”. Nicole stays
firm. She cannot give in and allow the plunder of public resources. Her
resoluteness pays off when the leaders including Bembe and Mossi are
arrested by Tajo, the head of Anti-Corruption Investigations Bureau. Surely,
resoluteness results in victory.

Thirdly, Nicole chooses to stand firm when the Inspector General of police,
Bembe, tries to unnerve her by arresting her on trumped-up charges. When
Mossi and Bembe realise that the Samaritan App was being used to air their
dirty linen in public, they plan to visit and talk to Nicole. Mossi correctly
points out that Nicole may be a very difficult person. Nicole is determined to
do the right thing. Bembe insists that he has a way of making people switch
allegiances. Bembe has a ploy to accuse Nicole of theft of school furniture, a
computer or a generator. He plans to get people to steal the school
generator and accuse Nicole of the crime then ask the judge to put her in.
True to his word, Bembe goes to Sagrada Secondary School to arrest Nicole
citing a wide range of accusations including disobeying authorities, being
located at the scene of a murder and stealing the school generator. Nicole is
not intimidated. She knows that her obligation is to do what is right, not to
obey leaders blindly. A leader cannot compel her to do the wrong things.
Her choice to do the right thing is not negotiable. Even in the face of an
impending jail term, she is not subdued by Bembe's preposterous fabricated
charges. She tells him that it will get him nowhere and that that will be the
darkest day of his career. Bembe orders the police to handcuff Nicole and
the strong-willed teacher resists until she is overpowered. Bembe is only but
trying to intimidate Nicole to stop pursuing the activities of the Samaritan
App claiming it poses grave danger to society. Nicole replies that she is but a
simple teacher trying to do what is right. While Bembe posits that Nicole
has an evil plan, she insists that The Samaritan App has no personal agenda
and is a people’s platform of protecting and promoting public good. When
she is arraigned in court, thousands of protesters from all walks of life mob
the court precincts in solidarity with Nicole, leaving Bembe with an egg on
his face. Furthermore, his bosses summon him over the impropriety.
Eventually, Bembe is arrested for his involvement in a wide array of crimes
and abuse of office. Nicole’s determination to do good ends in victory.

Apart from that, Alvita and Montano try but fail to plead with miss Nicole
to give up the Samaritan App and she tells them to stand firm with the App
and this pays off when the corrupt leaders are arrested. When the
unscrupulous leaders are whisked away by the police, Alvita cries
triumphantly that, “You can never escape from the consequences of your
actions”. These are the exact words of the resolute miss Nicole. The
apprehensive students are the brains behind the Samaritan App. But they
are now worried that as a result of the Mayor’s ultimatum, the App may get
their beloved teacher in trouble. Nicole insists that the Samaritan App is an
excellent platform for them to speak out against wrongdoing and share
ideas that will make their lives better. The leaders of Maracas municipality
are like the priests and Levite who ignore the injured Samaritan. They do
not care about the people. Neither do they come to their aid. They only
pursue their own selfish interests. The students still think that miss Nicole is
in grave danger. The teacher is determined to stand for a cause that can
bring a better tomorrow for everyone. The Samaritan has been all over the
media platforms and Alvita thinks it has grown so big that it is no longer
good for them anymore. The two students suggest that she transfers to a
different school. Nicole asks them not to chicken out at every trial or threat.
They must stand firm and demand that their leaders do the right thing. She
demands that they are not discouraged and that they stay brave. This is not
an effort in futility. The corrupt leaders including Mayor Mossi are
eventually arrested.

Also, Nicole remains steadfast when the Mayor approaches her and tries to
beg for mercy seemingly penitent of his evil acts and attempting to sway
Nicole to eliminate some negative information about him from the
Samaritan App. The Mayor starts by apologizing to Nicole for being a bit
hard on her earlier. He wants to have an honest talk with her. He concedes
that he made some mistakes and is ostensibly there to make the clean breast
of everything and to seek Nicole’s understanding and help. Nicole is taken
aback by the change of heart from the initially overbearing Mossi-oa-Tunya,
the untouchable smoke that thunders. He even offers Nicole a bribe. He asks
her to quote her figure. Looking straight at him, Nicole affirms in a firm
voice that she can never be part of such a scheme. She is disappointed that a
man entrusted to fight corruption is instead the chief perpetrator.
Stuttering, the penitent leader claims he was offering to invest in the
Samaritan App. Mossi feels he is being wrongly accused on the Samaritan.
Nicole reminds him that as the overall leader the buck stops with him.
Mossi tries to exonerate himself by slinging mud at his fellow politicians for
instance Ramdaye, deputy Mayor, for misappropriation of funds; Ted King,
the secretary of Health and Environment; Seymour, the secretary in charge
of Planning and Development and Judge Ian Jaden. The Mayor claims that
he cannot do anything about the rot in the municipality, inadvertently
admitting his ineptness. Nicole notes that the whole Municipal Council is a
criminal enterprise. Mossi admits that he steals at most three slices of the
loaf meant for the people. He points fingers at everyone else for eating the
whole loaf including the wrapping and the vendor where applicable. Nicole
resolutely suggests that all those he accuses are answerable to him. When
he realizes that Nicole wasn’t going to be swayed by his emotional pleas, he
turns to threats. He demands that she deletes every post that cast him in the
negative light or else she will discover why he is called Mossi-oa-Tunya: the
smoke that thunders. Nicole remains resolute to do the right thing.
Eventually, Mossi-oa-Tunya, the smoke that thunders, is arrested by the
anti-corruption police. Indeed, standing firm in doing the right thing brings
positive results.

Lastly, the leaders of Maracas Municipality attempt to appease Nicole by


playing power politics and offering her a high office in the Municipality but
she declines the offer, standing her ground until the felonious leaders are
arrested. The eight leaders meet at the Chamber of the Principal Judge with
the aim of saving their skins from The Samaritan. They have assembled to
figure out a way to escape being thrown behind bars at Baneta Express
Prison. Basdeo suggests that they talk to Nicole. Mossi warns him that she
is very firm. He tried appealing to her mercy, she couldn’t budge. He tried
intimidation and still she couldn’t yield. Basdeo suggests that they give her a
powerful position at the municipal council. They plan to let her tell them the
position she wants and voila! she becomes part and parcel of the municipal
leadership. Jaden suggests that they bring her a box of chocolate as an
incentive but Mossi cautions him that she won’t take it. When they meet
Nicole, they all grovel. Jaden seeks for forgiveness for intruding into Nicole’s
busy schedule. Bembe apologizes profusely for arresting Nicole. Mossi also
apologizes for treading on her toes. Although she is puzzled, Nicole accepts
the apologies and also expresses regret in the event that she offended any of
them. She politely declines Ted's offer of a golden ring. The leaders admit
serious mistakes in the leadership that have brought the Municipality to a
crisis. They avow that the ship is sinking. They request Nicole’s contribution
in enhancing service delivery to the people and she accepts. They ask her to
name the senior position she would like to occupy. Jaden proposes that she
should assume the role of Director General. Nicole declines the offer telling
the gentleman that they don’t need new laws, contracts or positions but a
change of spirit among the people and especially among the leaders. Nicole
tells them that to salvage the bleak situation they should do the right thing;
that is, make a U-turn about dipping their fingers in the public till and
pursuing personal gains. At this point, her efforts bring good tidings when
the corrupt officials are arrested and escorted to the Anti-Corruption
investigation Bureau.

In conclusion, triumph is a result of an unwavering spirit especially when


we champion for good. Nicole's determination to stamp out corruption in
Maracas Municipality and to have the disreputable leaders brought to book
ends in a jackpot when they are all arrested signaling a new dawn.

THE SAMARITAN ESSAYS QUESTIONS

Citizens have a role of voting in men and women of honour. When


they elect selfish leaders, they end up suffering themselves. Write an
essay to qualify this claim basing your illustrations on John Lara's The
Samaritan.
Some leaders only care about their selfish interests. When such self-seeking
leaders are elected, they abuse their powers and break the law with
impunity. They engage in vices such as corruption, drug trafficking, murder,
gang warfare, misappropriation of public funds etc. The citizens who vote
them in bear the brunt of such cruelty, lack of integrity and inefficiency.

Ramdaye, the Deputy Mayor of Maracas municipality, is a selfish man


whose corrupt ways lead to the suffering of many citizens of Maracas.
Despite knowing that he has never accomplished anything in his life other
than swindling people, the people overwhelmingly vote for him. He is in
charge of the Department of Physical Infrastructure. He uses this position to
award his companies and those of his relatives tenders for construction of
roads, bridges, pavements, drains and water courses. They misappropriate
the funds and do a shoddy job. He is also in charge of construction and
maintenance of secondary roads. Due to his ineptness, the workers do such
a shoddy job that the poor quality roads look like abandoned battlefield
destroyed by bombs. Even tractors get stuck on such roads! Moreover,
citizens still elect him even when they know him as a conman who prints
fake title deeds and sells the same plot to as many as ten people. He sold
Bembe, the Inspector General of police, land that belongs to Maracas
university. That is how he has earned his livelihood all these years. He has
destroyed lives of countless people because of his greed. When he learned
about the “Rodengate Affair”, in which justice Ian Jaden was rearing rats
and introducing them into farms to undermine local production in order to
import corn through his company, Prime Orchard Limited, he is silenced by
bribery. He is given money and shares in the company. His family is also
doing all Municipal Council projects that fall under his Department denying
deserving citizens a chance to offer their prowess and earn an honest coin.
Thus, residents continue to suffer under his watch. Indeed, citizens suffer
when they elect rogue leaders like Ramdaye.

Ted King is also a self-seeking leader who causes anguish to the citizens of
Maracas Municipality owing to his selfish nature. He is the Municipal
Secretary for the Department of Health and Environment. Despite his
infamous reputation as a pirate and a nuisance to the public, people vote for
him overwhelmingly into the Municipal Council. The youth and all are
excited by his evil hairstyle, ripped jeans, bangles, necklaces and other
adornments. After inviting bids for construction of health centres, Ted
ensures companies associated with his relatives and friends win the tenders.
He conspires with them and steals all the money allotted for the project and
ends up putting up site offices that resemble cowsheds. A former DJ, Ted was
responsible for noise pollution and pirating other people’s music. Citizens,
tired of the nuisance and agony, complained ceaselessly. Furthermore, he is
illiterate and spews gibberish on the floor of the chamber. He reeks of illicit
brew like one who sleeps in a brewery or a nightclub. Together with
Seymour, he is responsible for supplying air to the Municipal Council. This
means that their companies receive huge sums of public funds without
rendering any service. He further supports Seymour’s rallying call that they
reallocate the budget in order to use public funds to fight the corruption
cases against them. Citizens who vote in leaders like Ted end up in anguish
since the self-seeking leader does not deliver services to them instead they
embezzle funds for their selfish interests.

Thirdly, Seymour, is the self-seeking secretary to the Municipal Department


of Planning and Development. In spite of his moral failings, the people
elected him overwhelmingly. He bribes people using his drug money to buy
his way into office. To get building plans approval in Maracas municipality,
people simply bribe Seymour and the rotten Inspectorate Unit under him.
Proper building standards are not adhered to thus putting the lives of the
people living in such buildings at great risk. Never mind that Maracas is in a
seismically active area. The people have also suffered under his callous
leadership since anyone who dares bat an eyelid ends up disappearing
mysteriously. He runs a murderous gang known Black Swan Gang which is
responsible for shootings and violence. People read about this in the papers
but they still elect him. Apart from that, he demands that Mossi justifies
reallocation on the need to address the issue of the terrible waste disposal
system in the town. It is a serious health hazard for the citizens since the
garbage is strewn all over the place and the drains are broken. Instead of
fixing the problem, he wants them to use the funds to fight off the imminent
corruption cases against them. Seymour is also known for drug trafficking.
He has ruined the lives of many children who have dropped out of school
because of drugs, some have become cabbages, some roam aimlessly or
have lost their minds and worse still others have died because of drugs. He
also has a fake law certificate that he uses to intimidate people with. His
whole family including his two children and wife have been ruined by drugs.
Surely, people who vote for such evil leaders can only blame themselves for
the agony their leaders put them through.

The mayor of Maracas municipality, Mossi-oa-Tunya, is also a selfish leader


whose avarice results in untold suffering for the subjects under him. He
claims that he was voted in by hundreds of thousands of people. All these
people voted for him in spite of his iniquity. Using his powers, he tries to halt
the operations of The Samaritan App, an innovation used to fight corruption
and other vices in Maracas Municipality. He tries intimidate Ms. Narine, the
Principal, and Ms. Nicole the Ethics and Innovations teacher at Sagrada
Secondary School. In the past, he has been forced by Seymour to misallocate
public money to fund unnecessary demands like sitting allowances for
useless committee meetings. He is also responsible for the municipal
capture; the worst form of corruption and abuse of office. His private
interests determine the direction of public policy. He asks Mr. Harvester to
use public funds to buy all newspapers that portray the Municipal leaders in
bad light and to organize daily press conferences to clear their names and
save their skin. Apart from that, he runs a gang of riotous youth known as
the Red Eagle Gang. He admits stealing public resources when he alludes to
a loaf bread meant for the people from which he takes three slices for
himself. Although the buck stops with him, he points fingers at other leaders
like Ramdaye and Seymour, completely refusing to admit blame. He is only
keen on protecting his political career. Under his watch, the citizens suffer a
den of leaders who participate in corruption, murder, stealing, dishonesty
and sexual perversion. Electing such leaders is a sure way to end up in the
quagmire of agony.

In conclusion, citizens who want their region to develop with expediency


must elect honourable leaders of integrity. Supporting inept leaders who
only care about their own interests results in agony for the citizens.

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MORE ESSAY QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

A Silent Song Essay Questions & Answers


Fathers of Nations Essay Questions & Answers
Blossoms of the Savannah Essay Questions & Answers
Inheritance Essay Questions & Answers
The Samaritan Essay Questions & Answers

Please leave a comment if you found this article helpful.


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Lydia Wambutu
I. Really. . It
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Wafula Wekati
Thanks for the feedback Lydia.
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Wekati at April 10, 2023

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5 comments:

Anonymous 1 May 2023 at 06:49


Nice one. I love what you do 😍
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Wekati 1 May 2023 at 10:34

I appreciate your positive feedback.

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Anonymous 7 May 2023 at 14:11


Good work.
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Wekati 7 May 2023 at 14:43


Thanks for the feedback.

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Anonymous 2 June 2023 at 13:59

This is very useful.


Kindly share themes in John Lara's The Samaritan
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Wekati
Wafula Wekati is a teacher, writer and speaker. He specializes in English 101/3. He
attended Bungoma D.E.B primary school, Friends School Kamusinga and Pwani
University where he honed his skills in English/Literature. He believes that learning is a
continuous process so everyday we live and we learn. He speaks to teachers and
students on English and English Literature. Motto: Love Literature, Love Life.
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