After nearly a decade of setbacks, Duncan Njiri, a once D– student in KCSE, has finally joined Laikipia University to pursue a Bachelor of Education (Arts).
His story is full of questions and unimaginable struggles. Determination is encouraging and tear-jerking. Njiri sat his KCPE in 2014 at Kiamwangi Primary School and attained 248 marks. He then joined Kiamwangi Secondary School, where he sat for the KCSE in 2018 and scored a D–.
Realising the struggle he was enduring in his grade, he resorted to repeating the class for a better grade. Having made the decision late, he was forced to return to Form 3; KCSE candidates of that year had long been registered.
He enrolled at Mianzini Secondary School in Molo, working menial jobs on weekends to raise his own school fees. His hard work earned him a C, 1 point short of the then-needed C+ to join the University. This was a big Blow for Njiri, “Moving from a D minus to C plain was so satisfying. But missing university cut-off by just one point hurt me so much,” he said.
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Determined, Duncan tried again in 2022 and scored a B–, a record in his family. Despite getting what he had struggled for for years, his struggle was not over; he couldn’t join Laikipia University then due to poverty.
His story got the eye of philanthropist Ndungu Nyoro and through his “Affecto Watoto Wasome” came through for Duncan and his school Fees settled so is his accomodation.
Duncan finally reported to Laikipia University last week. His mother, overwhelmed with gratitude, visited the foundation’s offices with a basket of bananas, saying she had come “to say thank you.”
By Joseph Mambili
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