By Erick Otieno
As Grade 10 learners who sat for the 2025 Kenya Junior Secondary Education Assessment (KJSEA) continue reporting to various senior secondary schools across the country, one bright student from Nyatike Sub-County remains stranded at home due to lack of school fees.
Wycliffe Otieno, a learner from Ageng’a area in Nyatike Constituency, Migori County, is yet to report to Kanga Boys Senior School despite having secured a placement there after scoring an impressive 53 points in the 2025 KJSEA examinations.
Otieno is among the top performers nationally and was selected to pursue the Social Sciences Pathway under the Competency-Based Education (CBE) system. However, his academic journey has been abruptly stalled by financial hardship at home.
“My dream has always been to become an aeronautical engineer, but right now everything feels uncertain,” Otieno said, fighting back tears as he watched his peers join senior secondary school while he remains at home.
His mother, Mourine Akinyi, a widow, says she is unable to raise the required school fees. She has been the sole breadwinner since the death of her husband in 2017 and depends on menial jobs to support her family.
“Since my husband passed on in 2017, life has been a struggle. I have seven children to take care of, and my income comes mainly from crushing stones at mining sites. I have tried all I can, but the school fees needed for Kanga Boys is beyond my reach,” she said.
Akinyi added that all attempts to secure scholarships and other forms of financial support have so far failed, leaving the family with no option but to appeal for help.
For Otieno, the situation has been emotionally draining. “It hurts seeing my classmates move on while I am left behind, knowing I worked hard and earned this chance,” he said.
Kanga Boys Senior School is expected to close admissions on January 17, 2026, raising fears that Otieno may permanently lose the opportunity if no intervention is made.
The family is now appealing to well-wishers, education stakeholders and leaders of goodwill to help Otieno realise his dream of joining Kanga Boys Senior School. The boy hails from Oganga Village in North Kadem Ward, Nyatike Constituency.
Anyone willing to assist has been urged to come forward before the admission window closes.
