Jesma founder Jesse Waweru
If you went through the rigorous Kenyan 8-4-4 education system you probably know Jesma exams; the tough exams that teachers used to ensure they assess your level of understanding of various subjects in both primary and secondary schools. JESMA exams were the nightmares for many scholars because of their nature of setting and difficulty of the questions that required adequate understanding of context as well as a deep bank of content. The founder of the exams’ publishing company Jesse Waweru passed on recently and many Kenyans who did not know about the man behind their woes came to know of him and his story is quite inspirational.
James Waweru before setting up Jesma Publishers worked as a primary school teacher. Born in Nakuru in 1952, Waweru earned his primary teaching certificate in 1974. His colleagues and students often referred to him as ‘Mr Young,’ a testament to his youthful spirit and iconic afro hairstyle.
In 1988, he took a leap of faith and left his teaching career to come to Nairobi to found his company. initially it was called Musomesha and its soul purpose was publishing educational schemes of work for teachers. However, after some time he began publishing examination papers and marking schemes.
He founded JESMA to provide high-quality, accessible exam materials and marking schemes for both primary and secondary students. This business later evolved into JESMA Publishers & Education Boosters Limited, significantly broadening its offerings to include textbooks, examination papers, and various revision materials. His work has helped countless students achieve their academic goals and has been a valuable resource for teachers nationwide. The exams became a cornerstone in students’ preparation for national assessments.
According to Business Daily, the educationist died at the age of 72 after a protracted battle with pancreatic cancer. His son will take over the management of his business.
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