As parents, candidates and schools celebrate the outcome of the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examination results which were released on Thursday, some outstanding performers have illustrated the true definition of defying all odds to post good results.
In Kisumu, hard work, determination and resilience is what it took for 18-year-old Enrique Enock to make it to the list of the best performing students.
The Kisumu Boys High School student scored an A plain of 81 points emerging among the best candidates in Kisumu County and second best in his school.
But for the 18-year-old, the stellar performance was no mean feat. When the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education results were released in 2021, Enrique had scored 367 marks.
While he received an admission to St Ignatius Mukumu, his mother, a hawker could barely raise the required fees.
Instead, she went ahead to seek a chance to enroll Enrique at Kisumu Boys High School in the day scholars section.
Enrique's mother, Ms Milkah Mbilly Villy, also spoke to the school head about her financial challenges while promising to pay the fees in instalments. Luckily, Enrique got admitted at the school.
Meanwhile, his mother would constantly seek financial assistance from the area Member of County Assembly.
“While in form one and two, I would spend my weekends and school holidays helping with the house chores as my mother went out to hawk, sometimes, I would also join her at work,” says Enrique.
When he joined form three, Enrique had to transition to a border as per the Boys school requirements.
Enrique Enock with his mother Milka Mbilivili during an interview with the Nation in Kisumu on January 10, 2025.
Photo credit: Alex Odhiambo | Nation Media Group
When the schools closed, he would still help his mother to sell socks to earn a living and also to raise school fees.
“My mother was not able to raise all the fees but the teachers were always willing to accommodate me while she went out in search of fees,” says Enrique.
“The teachers were always impressed by my hard work and rarely sent me home for fees,” he adds.
Enrique reveals that his mother excused him from hawking at Form Four so he could concentrate on studies.
Having an increased study time period, Enrique says, went a long way in seeing his school performance improve.
When he received his results on January 10, 2025 Enrique and his mother could barely hide their joy.
Enrique scored straight A’s in five subjects, an A- in Kiswahili and a B+ in the two remaining subjects.
“My son has made me proud and I thank God for that, “said Ms Villy, who hopes to raise fees to ensure her son joins university.
She also thanked Kisumu Boys High School for understanding her financial capabilities and still allowing her son to study without destruction.
“Currently, we have a school balance of Sh25,000 but I am hopeful that we will clear it,” she said.
Enrique hopes to join the University of Nairobi to pursue a degree in Medicine so that he can give back to society by offering medical services especially to women.
