A Grade 10 student from Itembe in Bomet County has received support after circumstances forced him to walk 60 kilometres to his school in neighbouring Kericho County, carrying only his admission letter.
Shadrack Kipng’eno trekked from his home to Kabartegan Boys’ High School, beginning the journey in the early hours of the morning with no personal belongings, school items, or fees.
Upon his arrival on Friday, January 16, the school principal, Kiprono Chelule, met the student and was moved by his determination and commitment to education.
“I woke up at 4. am, walked up to Kaplong before I got a lift up to the junction where I saw the school’s signboard. When I got in, the principal asked why I had no items like the other students being admitted. I told him that no one back at home knew I had travelled because there’s nothing back at home and no money for the fees and to buy the required items,” the student narrated.
The principal bought the learner all the required admission items and paid his school fees after learning of his situation. While speaking to Citizen TV, the principal said the school supported the learner due to timely government funding.
“I want to thank the government because we were able to assist the boy due to the timely disbursement of capitation.”
The incident mirrors several cases reported across the country as learners from humble backgrounds struggle to report for Grade 10 under the new Competency-Based Education (CBE).
Grade 10 learners receive help
On January 14, Stella Kadzo, a blind mother from Kilifi County who depends on well-wishers for survival, let out a sigh of relief after local leaders stepped in to support her following a media report highlighting her plight.
Kadzo had travelled to Shimo La Tewa School empty-handed to plead with the administration not to cancel her son’s Grade 10 admission because of unpaid school fees. With no stable source of income, she relies on begging and goodwill from strangers to provide for her family.
Also Read: Top Scholarships Open for Grade 10 Learners In 2026 [LIST]
Her appeal touched many Kenyans, prompting leaders, including the Principal Secretary for Youth Affairs and Creative Economy, Fikirini Jacobs; Shella Ward, Member of the County Assembly; Twahir Abdulkarim, Malindi Member of Parliament; and Amina Laura Munyazi, Malindi Member of Parliament, to mobilise financial and material support.
PS Fikirini paid Ksh53,000 to cover a full year’s school fees and facilitated the purchase of all required school items. The Malindi MP, through the NG-CDF, added a Ksh30,000 cheque to top up fees for the following year.
MCA Twahir Abdulkarim coordinated the engagement and announced that the Kilifi County Government would cater for the boy’s education up to university level. He thanked the leaders and Governor Gideon Mung’aro for the swift intervention and assured the family that the child would remain in school.
In another case, 17-year-old Naomi Nyatara from Nyanchoka Village in Bomwagamo, North Mugirango, walked 47 kilometres after being selected to join Sironga Girls National School, following her mother’s bedridden state due to a broken limb, leaving the family without means to report her for Grade 10.
These cases have been reported amid a challenging national admission exercise for the first cohort of Grade 10 learners under CBE.
Possible extension of the admission period
With just hours left before the close of admissions, official data from the Ministry of Education portal shows that less than half of the 1.1 million learners expected to join senior school have so far reported to their institutions.
Also Read: Govt Issues Update on Grade 10 Placement Deadline
The slow reporting has raised concerns over the government’s 100 per cent transition policy, prompting the Ministry of Education to consider extending the admission deadline.
“We are thinking about extending the deadline a little bit to allow those who come late to report,” Basic Education PS Julius Bitok said while visiting Alliance High School to monitor the exercise. He added that schools have been instructed to continue admitting learners over the weekend.
Meanwhile, PS Bitok warned that stern action would be taken against school principals found culpable of increasing or demanding illegal school fees.
He warned that no head teacher will be allowed to add any levy or levies for any student seeking to join Grade 10, terming the practice illegal and punishable. Bitok insisted that fees have not changed.
Follow our WhatsApp Channel and X Account for real-time news updates.
