By John Majau
15-year-old girl Marisela Muthoni shocked many after walking for more than 50 kilometres to seek form one admission at Marimanti Girls’ High School.
Muthoni, who hails from Tharaka Nithi scored 301 marks in the 2021Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) exams and arrived at the school with only her admission letter.
She told the school administration that her sickly mother and relatives could not afford to pay her school fees and that she had not found anyone to support her.
“I decided to walk to school and appeal to the administration to allow me to study as I continued to look for a well-wisher,” said Muthoni.
She said after sitting her KCPE exams, she started looking for money for school fees but she had to use it to buy food for the family.
Muthoni revealed that she left her home in Gaceuni village in Tharaka North sub-county at 5am and arrived at the school in Tharaka South sub-county at 2pm.
Dressed in her Gaceuni Primary School uniform, the exhausted girl told the media that she had not eaten anything since morning and the previous night because the family went to bed hungry.
She revealed that she had to stop several times to rest after getting too tired but a stranger carried her on his motorbike for about five kilometres to Gatunga market.
The school is yet to make a decision on whether or not it will admit the girl because the principal was away for Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) training at the neighbouring Tharaka Boys’ High School.
The girl requires Sh34,550 tuition fees for the whole year. She also needs uniform and other personal effects.
Twanthanju Sub-Location Assistant Chief Gitonga Gatwiku confirmed that the girl comes from a poor family.
“The sick mother and all the children stay in one make-shift single room and although the girl receives a bit of support from her uncle, he cannot afford to provide school fees,” said Mr. Gatwiku.
Many other bright but needy children who sat the KCPE exam are yet to join Form One due to lack of fees.
Antony Musembi, who scored 395 marks at Gacereni Primary School in Tharaka constituency, was selected to join Meru School but is also at home for lack of fees.
