Two learners from a slum in Mombasa are set to be enrolled in Form One immediately, following a directive by Education Cabinet Secretary Professor George Magoha.
The CS ordered that the two pupils be offered government sponsorships after he met them during his door-to-door search for learners in Bangladesh slums, Jomvu, Mombasa.
Biosa Hassan Zole, 15, and and Moses Wafula, 16, scored 355 and 394 marks in the 2020 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) respectively but failed to join Form One due to lack of school fees.
Education CS George Magoha in Kisumu's Nyalenda slums. |Photo| Courtesy|
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Following the directive by Magoha, Zole was enrolled at Mama Ngina Girls High School in Mombasa.
"I was to report to Moi Forces in Mtongwe but my mother did not have the money to take me there. Today I am happy to join my dream school where I hope to achieve my dreams," an ecstatic Zole stated.
The young girl dreams of being a doctor.
Her mother, Fatuma Charo, told Magoha she was unable to take Zole to Mama Ngina Girls School due to lack of money. The amount she makes from washing clothes could not cover the school fees.
"The money I make from washing clothes is too little to pay school fees for my daughter. She is a bright girl and I am sure she will achieve her dreams," Charo was quoted by People Daily as saying.
Wafula on the other hand, will proceed to Shimo La Tewa Secondary School in Mombasa. His father, Alfayo Sindani, stated that he was unable to raise the school fees after loosing his job as a casual labourer at a container freight company.
He, however, thanked the government for coming to his aid.
"Children who finished Class Eight last year must go to school, even those who are pregnant or have babies. We want to find out where these children are," Magoha stated.
The CS noted that the Coast region compared to other parts of the country was lagging behind in Form One transition. He revealed that only 60 percent of pupils from the Coast region had joined Form One compared to 100 percent in other regions.
"The Coastal region is still lagging behind from the records we have. And that is why we are asking the local Administration to carry out a full operation to return them to school," Magoha stated.
