Hanoi: The story of Elvas Tuwei from Moiben Sub County in Uasin Gishu County, whose dream of university education was revived after years of financial hardship, has sparked debate among Nandi County residents on the need for the Government to make education accessible to every Kenyan regardless of their economic background. Tuwei’s experience has resonated with many families who continue to struggle to finance the education of their children despite having bright and academically promising students.
According to Kenya News Agency, after completing secondary school, Tuwei reportedly failed to join university because his family could not raise the required fees. With no immediate alternative, he resorted to working as a private security officer for several years before intervention by the area Member of Parliament through the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF), which helped him return to the path of higher education. For residents, the development illustrates both the transformative power of education and the barriers that poverty continues to place in the way of young Kenyans seeking to advance their studies.
Teacher John Wawire said Tuwei’s story should serve as a reminder that inability to pay school fees should never be allowed to extinguish the ambitions of a young person. Wawire observed that there were many students across the country who performed well in national examinations but failed to proceed to universities, colleges, and technical institutions because their parents could not meet the financial demands of higher education. According to him, the Government should strengthen existing education financing programmes and ensure that needy students are identified early enough to receive assistance before they drop out.
A college student, Nancy Chepkirui, said the story had demonstrated that young people could remain hopeful even when circumstances appeared to have closed all doors. Chepkirui said many young people were forced to postpone their education while looking for casual employment to support themselves and their families. According to the student, some eventually abandon their academic ambitions permanently after spending years working, getting married, or taking on other responsibilities.
A youth leader, Jackson Kiprop, said Tuwei’s journey should provoke a national conversation about the number of talented young people who could be lost to poverty before they get an opportunity to demonstrate their abilities. The youth leader suggested that the Government should not only concentrate on tuition but also address the wider cost of education. He argued that young people from disadvantaged households needed comprehensive support that could cover tuition, accommodation, learning materials, and other essential requirements.
A woman leader, Linda Koech, said the case was particularly significant because many families were struggling to educate several children at the same time. She said women, who often bear a significant responsibility for meeting household needs, could be forced to make painful decisions when family resources were inadequate. The woman leader called for deliberate measures to ensure that children from vulnerable families received equal educational opportunities.
Community elder Boaz Towett said Tuwei’s plight demonstrated the importance of giving people second chances. The elder observed that not every young person who failed to proceed to university immediately after secondary school had abandoned education. Some were simply waiting for an opportunity that could enable them to resume their studies.
The reactions from the Nandi residents come amid continued national discussions on how to make education more inclusive and affordable. They said the Government should strengthen early identification of needy learners, expand bursary and scholarship programmes, improve student financing, and ensure that funding reaches beneficiaries in good time. They also called for increased investment in public schools and training institutions to reduce the financial burden placed on parents.
Tuwei graduated on Friday at Mt Kenya University with a bachelor’s degree in education science, a first class for that matter, highlighting a case of a gem that would have gone to waste, were it not for the intervention from the MP.
