Observation

The popularity of this question was above average. The B part was less challenging to the candidates as compared to the A part. The weakness of the candidates is traced to how they missed the points by concentrating their efforts on expatiating on how Solomon married many wives. They wrote that God divided the kingdom so as to punish Solomon.  On the whole, the performance of this question was below average. Only a few candidates were able to write about the unwise decisions taken by Solomon. Expected points are highlighted below;

A. The unwise policies of Solomon (1 kgs 9:15-23; 11: 1-13; 12: 1-20)
1. Solomon, the son of David by Bathsheba succeeded his father
2. When David died, although he was reputed to be wise, he took certain measures that brought hardship to his people
3. He engaged in very expensive building projects that consumed their material resources
4. He instituted forced unpaid labour that reduced the people to become mere slaves
5. The people were heavily taxed so that he could raise enough funds to finance his numerous projects
6. His seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines had to be fed from the national coffers
7. Contrary to God’s command, Solomon married many foreign women from idolatrous nations.
8. He built temples for the foreign gods brought by these women. He joined them in worshipping these gods,thereby committing apostasy
9. There emerged an era of dictatorship and culture of silence.
10. The people no longer considered themselves as free men but slaves
11. There was the tendency for underground movement against such a rule as was manifested by Jeroboam ben Nabat
12. Introduction of foreign gods into Israel almost diverted the people’s attention from Yahweh.
13. Unplanned massive projects drained the country’s coffers and reduced them to abject property.
14. His policy led to tribal sentiments

B.        Effects of bad governmental policies on citizens

1. Poverty
2. Brain drain
3. Uneven distribution of wealth
4. Corruption
5. Social strife
6. Ethnocentricism/Nepotism
7. Poor delivery of social services
8. Apathy
9. Underdevelopment