With the recent Form One selection exercise having been completed, many students who passed their exams have reported to their various secondary schools and are proceeding with studies.
But it is not the same for Dennis Onyancha Ombogi, a pupil who sat his 2014 KCPE exams at Ogembo Preparatory School, scoring an impressive 370 marks in the process.
Lack of school fees has locked Ombogi out of a form one place at Njoro Boys' National School.
Ombogi comes from Bomwamu village, Boochi Sub – Location and his aunt, Florence Kwamboka, explained that this unfortunate development has been occasioned by the fact that his father, Tom Omurwa, is a peasant without the means or income to afford the 49, 890 shillings basic fees charged by the school per annum. This is in addition to other charges and requirements.
His mother, a Tanzanian, is said to have abandoned her matrimonial home because of the economic hardship and her current whereabouts remain unknown.
Ombogi currently lives with an ailing grandmother who is unable to support his academic endeavours, let alone pay for her medical bills, which are often offset via harambee contributions among her children, who are also struggling peasant farmers with negligible incomes.
Kwamboka said that because of additional expenses like transport and other costs, the family was of the view that he should attend a nearby school within the county to defray extra costs like transport and pocket money. However, even this undertaking was beyond the financial reach of the family members.
She is now appealing to well-wishers and other individuals of good will to help the get to school.
For now, Ombogi's fate hangs in the balance despite his performance in the KCPE examination.