A 16-year-old girl from Rongo constituency in Migori County is yet to join Grade 10 despite scoring 52 points in the Kenya Junior Secondary Education Assessment (KJSEA), as financial hardship continues to lock out needy learners from senior secondary school.
Stacy Adhiambo, who sat her exams at Kanga comprehensive school, has been forced to seek employment at a local hotel to raise money for school fees.
Instead of reporting to school with her peers, she now spends her days working to support her education dreams.
Her situation highlights the growing number of students across Migori County who have failed to transition to Grade 10 due to lack of fees.
The parents and guardians cite tough economic times and limited access to bursary funds as the main challenges.
Education stakeholders in the region warn that delayed reporting could negatively affect learners’ academic progress and increase the risk of dropouts.
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They are now calling on county leaders, Members of Parliament, and the Ministry of Education to intervene urgently.
The stakeholders have asserted that the available bursary schemes, including county government funds and the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF), are meant to cushion vulnerable families.
However, some residents claim that access to these funds remains slow or inadequate.
As schools continue with admissions, leaders in Migori are being urged to act swiftly to ensure that Stacy and other affected learners are given an opportunity to pursue their education without further delay.
By Odoyo Miranda
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