Education

Poverty dims bright Kiambu boy’s dream after varsity call up

Published

2 months ago

October 23, 2023

Horance Mbatia had aspirations of enrolling in a university to pursue his education when he took the KCSE in 2021 at Njumbi High School in Mathioya, Murang’a County.

But after two years, this is still only a dream because he was not able to pursue his ambition of becoming an expert in English and literature due to a shortage of fees totaling Sh320,000.

Mbatia received a calling letter from Turkana University College, where he was scheduled to pursue a Bachelor of Education Arts, after scoring a B- on a scale of 58 points.

Speaking at their residence in Thika’s Kiganjo village, Mbatia, the third child in a family of four, stated that his parents were unable to pay the necessary school fees and that his attempts to reach out to well-wishers have been futile.

Mbatia, 20, told journalists that he was hawking fruits within the expansive Kamenu ward in a bid to raise his school fees.

This has, however, proved to be an uphill task as the proceeds he makes on a daily basis of between Sh150 to Sh200 goes towards helping his parents put food on the table for their family.

He wakes up early in the morning and treks for about seven kilometers to Madaraka market where he gets his ‘merchandise’ and kicks off work immediately.

He noted that his mother works as a house help within the town while his father is a casual laborer in the area.

“My dad can even go for a month without getting a job. The little money I get from hawking water melons I spend it on buying food for our family while my mum toils and moils hard to pay our house rent, Sh4500, and paying school fees for my younger brother who’s in Form Two,” Mbatia said.

He also sad that he has not managed to save a single shilling for his university fees.

“The profit I make is too little and I usually spend it to help my struggling parents,” he said.

Mbatia pleaded with well-wishers including area MP Alice Ng’ang’a to come to his aid and help him join university.

“I promise not to disappoint anyone who will hear and respond to my pleas. I have passion for English and Literature and I hope to author books upon completion of my studies,” Mbatia said.

Education

CS Machogu says no exam printing contract was cancelled in reply to Raila

Published

10 hours ago

December 7, 2023

KSN Reporter

Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu has denied assertions made by Raila Odinga, head of Azimio La Umoja One Kenya, that anomalies in the recently revealed results are due to the termination of the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) tests printing tender to a UK firm.

During his appearance before the Parliamentary Education Committee, Machogu stated that tenders for publishing national tests are sent out every year.

”We have not terminated anybody’s contract. Each and every year a contract is made,” he said.

He insisted that Kenya, like any other nation, is capable of producing exam papers domestically.

The Education CS said that his ministry did not violate any laws and that the examinations printing tender was awarded using due process.

However, Machogu recognized that applicants’ difficulties receiving their results were caused by the company’s noncompliance with KNEC guidelines regarding the management of the QR code used for transmitting and accessing the KCPE results.

“As a CS I have learnt lessons because basically you can see as a ministry everything was right. Somebody we can call an outsider was given the contract but did not really conform and do to the required standard. Moving forward when we release the KCSE examinations we will not be able to make use of the same service provider,” he added.

Odinga had on Wednesday alleged that the government illegally revoked the printing tender from a UK based firm to a printer based in Mombasa road and later to India.

”We have established that early this year, the Kenya Kwanza administration suddenly and abruptly stopped this contact because the UK firm refused to give kickbacks. Without following any legal procurement processes, due diligence procedures and attention to examination timelines, the Kenya Kwanza administration awarded the KCPE and KCSE exam printing contract to a politically correct printing company based in Mombasa road,” Odinga said.

Education

“I won the U.S Green Card lottery”.The Inspiring Story of Fridah Nyakundi

Published

2 days ago

December 5, 2023

KSN Reporter

Hailing from the foothills of Mount Kenya in Menga village, Fridah Mukuba’s life took a turn for the better with The KENYA Airlift Program’s Permanent Residents Program, Green Card Lottery option. Her happiness radiates from gaining US residency and embarking on a new adventure with her beloved family. Fridah’s journey began with a simple idea—an aspiration to visit the United States. Seizing the opportunity presented by the Green Card Lottery, their stars aligned at first attempt, marking the commencement of a new chapter.

Fridah Nyakundi at her new apartment in Tampa

At the heart of Fridah’s aspirations in her newfound American home is a deep-seated desire to advance her career and pursue a Ph.D. This personal pursuit extends to instilling in her children the transformative impact of education. The University of South Florida is Fridah’s top pick, aligning perfectly with her educational goals, aspirations, and offering the convenience of proximity. Nestled in the same city that will be their new home, it presents an ideal opportunity for a seamless integration of her academic pursuits and family life.

The successful settlement of Fridah and her family in Tampa, Florida, highlights the positive impact of the program’s support since many individuals fail to successfully transition after winning the green card, often due to a lack of understanding about the processes involved and financial constraints. This underscores the vital role that guidance and support play in facilitating a smooth and successful transition on the path toward achieving The American Dream.

This article is brought to your courtesy of The KENYA Airlift Program

The KENYA Airlift Program is an award-winning initiative that helps brilliant Kenyan Students achieve the dream of studying in the US regardless of their financial background.

The program was founded in late 2018 by US-based education & technology consultant Bob Mwiti.

The program’s mission is achieved through key partnership with MPOWER Financing as the official lending partner for unsecured student loans that cover both tuition and living expenses, partnership with universities in US where the program negotiates tuition fee waivers and scholarships, partnership with The Airlift Sacco to help finance students’ relocation expenses and partnership with Qatar Airways who offer discounted relocation air tickets to the students.

The program only accommodates ambitious and incredibly talented Kenyans who are willing to take a leap of faith in joining the tech industry by studying STEM or business-related master’s programs.

This award-winning program is trying to fix two major challenges Kenyan Students face in their quest to study in America, namely:

Financing and career support

The program is divided into two options; regular and parallel, which are based on the student’s academic qualifications and financial capabilities.

Regular student’s academic requirement is a B plain mean grade in KCSE with a B plain in Mathematics or Physics and a second class division in undergraduate, whereas Parallel students’ academic requirements is a C+ mean grade in KCSE and a second class division in undergraduate.

The program has an active membership of about 2000 students, and as of January 2023, the program has seen over 200 students relocate since inception, to study at various top State Universities in the US, with many more currently in the relocation pipeline.

The program has official working relationship with top Universities in North America namely:

University of Kentucky
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Missouri State University
University of Louisville
University of Delaware
Grand Valley State University
South Dakota State University
Temple University
The University of Alabama in Huntsville
Northeastern University Toronto & Vancouver, Canada

If you are interested in joining this fantastic program, please apply today by visiting our website at www.kenyaairliftprogram.com

For any further inquiries, you can also visit our head office in Nairobi at Muthaiga Square, 3rd Floor suite 311 on Thika Road opposite Muthaiga Police Station or you can give us a call at 0721-263-977.

Education

High Court declines to halt Form One selection

Published

1 week ago

November 29, 2023

KSN Reporter

Form one selection will proceed without any problems after the High Court decided not to put a stop to the process until two cases involving the newly announced Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) results were heard and decided.

Advocate Danstan Omari submitted a request for an injunction to halt the Form One selection process on behalf of students and parents at Kitengela International School.

The administration of Kitengela International School demanded a response from the parents and teachers of Set Green Hill Primary School in Kisii, as part of a petition.

The headteacher of Kitengela International School claimed in a letter to the Kenya National Examinations Council (Knec) that the candidates’ KCPE results “do not reflect their true academic abilities” and asked for a review of the findings.