By Norah Musega
museganorah@gmail.com
Migori County top achiever in the 2021 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) risks missing the chance to join form one at Maranda high school after scoring 419 marks.
Steven Shayan from Mihuru Bay Village in Nyatike Sub-county who sat his KCPE at Oruba Primary School is among other bright students whose families have come out pleading for financial assistance or scholarship to see them join the respective secondary schools they have been called to.
Shayans’ father, Caleb Sagia, noted that he is proud of his sons’ achievement and would wish to see him join his dream school to further his education at the secondary level but he is unable to afford the school fees amounting to Sh67,244.
Sagia while speaking to Education News noted that he is only but a watchman within Migori town not able to afford the school fees required for his son to join form one. He has now rested his hope on well-wishers to help him secure the future of his son by joining Maranda in Siaya County.
Erick Onyango from Oruba Village in Suna West Sub-county who scored 414 also at Oruba Primary School has received his calling later to join Maranda High School and has expressed similar fears of losing the chance for lack of fees even after performing well in the KCPE.
On the other hand, Becky Bella, who scored 391 at Kadika Primary School and has been called to join Nakuru Girls High School is another worried student due to lack of school fees for her education, especially being a partial orphan living with her mother who fends for the family through manual jobs.
The families also told Education News that they had made application for different scholarships but until the time we aired their plight they had not succeeded.
“I had applied for the Jomo Kenyatta Foundation, KCB and Equity Bank scholarships but all have not succeeded. I only earn Sh3,000 per month from my watchman job which is not enough to pay school fees for my son,” said Saggia.
Alfine Aoko, mother to Onyango said that she does not have a job or even proper business that can enable her to pay school fees for her son.
“I am just selling flour at Migori Market and due to the economy hardships; I cannot manage to pay the Maranda High School fees from the little money I get from the business. I am just doing this business in order to have something on the table for the family,” she said.
At the same time Monica Otieno, mother to Bella, who is also a widow said that she will not manage to the Sh52, 000 needed for her daughter’s school fees.
“My husband died over five years ago and he left me with nothing, right now I have another child at home who sat his KCPE last year who has not joined secondary as a result of poverty, I am requesting any well-wisher to come to my rescue,” said Ms Otieno
