Barely days after President William Ruto stated that no learner eligible to join Grade 10 should be kept out of school due to lack of fees, a troubling case has emerged in Rongo, Migori County.
Sebastian Onyango, the top-performing Grade 9 candidate at Nyakwere Primary School last year, has been forced to repeat the class after his family failed to raise the fees needed for his transition to senior secondary school.
On Monday morning, Sebastian returned quietly to Nyakwere Primary School and walked into his former Grade 9 classroom. Teachers and classmates initially assumed he had already reported to a senior secondary school, unaware that financial hardship had derailed his plans.
School officials later learned that the learner had chosen to repeat Grade 9 rather than stay at home after missing out on Grade 10 placement due to unpaid fees and related requirements.
Teachers described the situation as deeply painful, noting that Sebastian had been among the school’s brightest students and had shown strong academic promise.
The incident has renewed questions about the gap between government policy and reality on the ground. While authorities maintain that no child should miss school because of fees, many families continue to struggle with costs linked to uniforms, boarding, transport, and learning materials.
Education stakeholders in Migori County have called for urgent support to help Sebastian proceed to senior secondary school, warning that similar cases could discourage high-achieving learners from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Sebastian’s story has struck a chord locally, highlighting the ongoing challenges facing access to education despite national assurances.
