A bright but needy Maseno School alumnus is stuck at home, unable to join The University of Nairobi, two years after he sat the Kenya Secondary Education Certificate (KCSE) exams.
Ambrose Kiplangat Korir, 22, sat his exams in 2022, scoring a Grade B plain and was admitted for Bachelor of Science in Education at the UoN.
Speaking to Nation at his Kenyolok home in Kilgoris Constituency, Narok County, Korir on Sunday, August 18, explained that he could not collect his certificates at his former school to enable him to proceed, over a Sh52,000 fee arrears.
“I was admitted to study Bachelor of Science in Education at the UoN but forfeited as I did not manage to collect my Leaving Certificate and other documents from Maseno School,” said Korir.
In 2018, the Daily Nation highlighted his story when he was unable to join Form One and was lucky to get well-wishers who sponsored his education.
“After the Nation story, I was helped by the Maseno alumni who paid my fees. However, at Form Three I was frequently being sent back home for school fees and I knew there was a problem,” said Korir.
The sixth born in a family of 10 did not get anything tangible back home as each of his siblings was a needy case.
Even so, he managed to hang on and sat his national examinations in the year that followed.
“I managed to remain in school but finished my exams with a fee arrears of Sh52,000. Part of that arrears was ‘Development Money’ which was introduced when I was in form four. We were to pay Sh6,000 per term. Of course, the rest was composed of the arrears that I had not settled since form three,” he stated.
“Due to these balances, I was unable to get clearance from the school,” he said.
Clearing from the school would have enabled him to obtain his result slip and KCSE certificate, which are critical in university admission.
Due to this predicament, the student has been at home doing menial jobs to get food and other basics.
“I taught at the nearby primary school for two terms under the Board of Management, ” Korir said.
The sixth born in a family of ten said all her elder siblings who were unable to complete their studies have married while the younger ones are at various levels of education.
“My parents cannot manage to clear the fees at Maseno and also pay for my university education,” he said.
“I believe that university education will give me a chance to get a good job and end up transforming my life and our family,” Korir said.
Even so, his dream of joining the UoN remains elusive as he cannot sponsor his university education.
At their humble home, this writer caught up with his father Joseph Koech, who was so distraught over the situation of his son.
Given an opportunity to speak, Mr Koech only managed to say, “My bright son has failed to join school due to lack of fees!” as tears rolled down his cheeks.
Korir’s mother was reportedly out and about fending for her younger children at the time of our visit.
Geoffrey Kechwo, a neighbour who had directed the Nation team to the homestead, pointed out that the indigence of Korir’s home had caged him and would not possibly succeed if nobody came through to help him.
“Even the seats we are currently sitting on here (as the interview progressed) have been borrowed from the neighbours,” said Mr Kechwo.
The interview proceeded outside, with the grass-thatched huts that formed Mr Koech’s home sitting in the background.
Kechwo went on: “Through Nation, we managed to get well-wishers who took him to Maseno School. He ought to be in Second Year this year but here he is, doing menial jobs. He is very humble and it hurts to let this brain go to waste”.
Korir’s plight comes at a time when there is heated national debate regarding the high cost of university education that is likely to deny many from humble backgrounds a chance to realise their dreams.
