Let's denote the original number of apples Kemi had as "x". According to the information given, she gave 8 apples to her friend. Therefore, the remainder is (x - 8).
It is stated that two-thirds of the remainder (2/3 * (x - 8)) is equal to 12. We can set up the equation:
2/3 * (x - 8) = 12
To find the value of x, we can solve this equation. Multiplying both sides by 3/2 gives:
x - 8 = 12 * (3/2)
Simplifying the right side:
x - 8 = 18
To isolate x, we add 8 to both sides:
x = 18 + 8
x = 26
Therefore, Kemi originally had 26 apples.