For Raphael Mwathiki, an A plain in the 2025 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) was more than just an academic triumph it was proof that resilience can rise above poverty. But as celebrations fade, the bright student now faces a harsh reality: he may be unable to join university due to lack of fees, threatening his lifelong dream of becoming a surgeon.
Mwathiki, a needy but determined student from Miuine in Igembe North constituency, says his journey through secondary school was marked by constant interruptions as his family struggled to raise fees. He studied at Burieruri Boys Secondary School, where he was frequently sent home for weeks at a time.
“I was often sent home to collect school fees and would sometimes stay out of school for one or two weeks,” Mwathiki recalled. “I am grateful to our area MP, Julius Taitumu, who supported me through bursary funds and helped me complete secondary school.”
He says support from members of the local community also played a crucial role in keeping his dream alive.
Now, with university beckoning, Mwathiki fears the same financial hardship could derail his future. He has appealed to the Meru County Government and well-wishers to help him pursue a medical degree, saying his parents cannot afford the cost of university education.
“I humbly ask the county government and kind-hearted well-wishers to help me achieve my dream of becoming a doctor,” he said. “My parents are unable to raise the university fees.”
Outside their one-bedroom timber house in Igembe North, Mwathiki’s mother, Nancy Nkunja, struggled to hold back tears as she spoke about her son’s results.
“I cried because of the good results, but inside me there was shock,” she said. “I prayed to God to give me courage. I am pleading with well-wishers to help my son continue with his education.”
She says Mwathiki’s dream of becoming a doctor was born in childhood, after watching his father suffer from a leg condition.
“He once told his father that one day he would operate on his leg and make him better,” she recalled.
Mrs Nkunja praised the Igembe North NG-CDF office under MP Julius Taitumu for stepping in when the family could no longer cope, saying the bursaries were the reason her son stayed in school.
The family survives on menial jobs and has often been unable to consistently afford school fees. Yet, she says, Mwathiki never gave up.
“Despite all the challenges, his determination never faded,” she said.
A family member, Gerald Ntomuchiri, says the family is desperate but resolute.
“We are ready to sacrifice everything for him to study and achieve his dreams,” he said. “We have no other option.”
