An orphan boy from Mokong’wo village in Tiaty, Baringo County, has been forced to forego his slot at Kapsabet boys school and repeat class 8 after his granny failed to raise school fees to join form one.
Yusuf Aker, was among the top performers in the 2019 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) scoring 380 marks out of 500 and was the leading pupil in his school, Tangulbei Primary School.
Citizen Digital caught up with the boy, whose dream of becoming a doctor has now been dealt a heavy blow. Aker was forced to sit for a Kiswahili opening exam at the very school where he sat his KCPE last year.
The boy who lost his parents and 9 siblings during a banditry attack on the border of Pokot and Samburu when he was just 3 years old, now lives with his 82-year old granny.
The two have been earning a living by selling ballast, a practice which is sometimes unreliable.
Aker's headteacher, James Merinyang is shocked to see him back in class 8 despite his sterling performance. Mr Merinyang thought well-wishers would intervene and help the boy continue with his studies.
Many Kenyans are living below standards to a point they cannot afford to raise school fees to get a basic education.