Observation

This question was not popular among the candidates as only a few candidates attempted it. From their narration, it was observed that candidates were familiar with this story, however, majority of them performed poorly because they missed the story line, while some wrote about the rejection of Saul. The supposed points candidates were expected to have written are:

i. After the death of Solomon, his son Rehoboam was made king by the tribes of Judah, in the south.

ii. He journeyed to the North to be crowned king at Shechem by the Northerners, in order to unite the kingdom.

iii. Jeroboam who had been in exile in Egypt when he heard of the news, returned home and led a delegation from the North to meet Rehoboam

iv. The delegation requested that the heavy burden imposed on them by Solomon be made light so that they would serve him

v. Rehoboam asked the Northern delegates to go and return on the third day for an answer

vi. He sought advice from his father's elderly counselors about the type of response he should give to the Northerners.

vii. They advised him to pay heed to their request by reducing their burden so that they would serve Rehoboam.

viii. Rehoboam later consulted his peers for advice on the issue.

ix. His contemporaries advised him to tell the Northerners: "my little finger is thicker than my father's loins".

x. "Whereas my father chastised you with whips, I will chastise you with scorpions".

xi. This implied that the people's plight would be worse than that of his father

xii. On the third day, Jeroboam and the Northerners returned to Rehoboam for an answer.

xiii. Rehoboam rejected the good advice of his elders and took that of his peers – that he would make their plight more grievous.

xiv. When the Israelites saw that Rehoboam was not ready to listen to their plea for reduction of their burden, they broke away from the United Kingdom, saying "we have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. To your tents, o Israel!"

xv. The Northerners then made Jeroboam their king.

In the (b) part, candidates used the experience of the political activities happening in the society to answer the question and were able to derive some tangible points. Some points candidates could have included are:

i. When the leader becomes dictatorial/cruel

ii. When the leader has no respect for the elders

iii. When economic conditions become deplorable/unbearable/ harsh

iv. When the leader acts without authorization/beyond his powers/violates the constitution

v. When the leader indulges in immoral acts

vi. When the leader is unable to control those under him/her

vii. When the leader is corrupt.