Katheka–Ka–Kai community is celebrating 13 needy students from a local school who have qualified for university in the 2023 KCSE examinations.
They sat the examinations at Katheka–Ka–Kai Secondary School where they all attained mean grades of between C plus and B plus.
The school’s principal Margaret Owaka said teachers volunteered and paid fees to all the 13 students since they were bright, disciplined but needy.
Some had their school fees sorted by the teachers from Form 1 to 4.
The mixed school has only girls boarding while boys are day scholars.
Some teachers living within the school compound accommodated male students since their vulnerable backgrounds couldn’t give them a conducive environment for their studies.
“Last year we had 13 students who qualified for university. Most of them scored A’s in sciences. The top student Eric Kathukya, attained a B plus. Together with other teachers, we paid his school fees,” Owaka told the Star in her office.
The principal teaches Mathematics and Biology. They managed a B plus, four B plain, three B minus and five C plus.
The school had 138 candidates in the KCSE examinations. It currently has a student population of 490.
The mean score improved from 4.37 in 2022 to 4.5 in 2023. The school had a mean of 4.3 in 2021 up from 4.27 in 2020. Waka said they are determined to achieve a mean of 5 in 2024.
The school which has 120 candidates this year is determined to take over 20 students to the university in 2024.
The teachers were excited with the students’ results saying that their sacrifices and generosity to pay fees had eventually paid off.
“I have been working hand in hand with my colleagues to transform the lives of students. When I came to this school in 2019, I adopted a boy named Eric Kathukya from a less fortunate family,” a teacher, Samson Wambua said.
Wambua who teaches History and CRE said he chose to support the boy since he was disciplined, needy and bright.
Miriam Mumbua is among the students whose entire fees were sorted by the teachers. She scored a B plain.
“We decided as teachers that we keep the students in school and they excelled, they have bright future,” Owaka said.
Owaka said she together with other teachers and students rescued Mumbua in 2022.
The school had no boarding section for girls then, so she offered the girl her office to sleep in together with a woman hired as a matron.
The situation pushed the principal to establish and register a boarding for girls that has 70 students now.
“We worked as a team, some teachers would offer their laptops for children to learn. We did lots of exams using the laptops,” Owaka said.
“My record shows that wherever I have been as a principal, I retain needy but bright students. I go the extra mile.”
Owaka said even for the students who had their fees paid by their parents and guardians, the majority who sat KCSE exams left behind huge fee arrears than paid amounts.
She called on her fellow school heads and principals to be considerate and not deny needy children a bright future.
“Principals, sometimes we can kill a dream by sending children home. Let’s identify needy students and support them,” Owaka said.
Owaka said over 30 more needy students were being paid for their fees at the school.
The students who qualified for the university after being supported by teachers, however, expressed fears that they might not raise varsity fees.
They called for well-wishers’ intervention to help them pursue their higher education.
“My journey to academic success hasn’t been easy since I hail from a humble background, a single mother. I owe a lot to my teachers who have helped me through,” Kathukya said.
“I need support to get to university.”
Mumbua said she was the only hope for her family.
“There are a lot of problems in our home. I need support for me to realize my dream of becoming a nurse,” the 17-year-old said.
