Shock as Grade 10 Learner Arrives Barefoot at Oriwo Boys High School.
In a poignant display of hardship during Kenya's ongoing Grade 10 admissions, a Form One student shocked staff and the local community by reporting to Oriwo Boys High School in Homa Bay County completely barefoot and with just a simple manila bag.
The student, identified as Flavian Wasonga, previously attended Olasi Comprehensive School in Nyakach, Kisumu County, where he achieved 56 points in his Grade 9 exams. However, severe family poverty nearly prevented him from joining senior secondary school.
Tragedy struck when Wasonga's father passed away, leaving his mother, Mary Akoth, as the family's only provider. Akoth is now fighting breast cancer, a condition that has left her unable to work or cover even basic needs, plunging the household into deeper financial distress.
The boy's plight came to light during a mop-up exercise conducted by Benter Akinyi, the local Assistant Chief, who was tracking down students yet to enroll. Moved by his circumstances, the administrator arranged transport for Wasonga to reach Oriwo Boys, allowing him to report despite having no shoes, uniform, bedding, or other essentials.
This case is not isolated at the school. Several other incoming Grade 10 learners have arrived under equally challenging conditions:
-Evans Onyango showed up without sufficient requirements after his family couldn't afford fees.
-Michael Onyango, originally from Kisumu County and a former pupil at Msingi School in Ragumu, arrived wearing only the clothes on his back—his parents had gone home to seek transport funds but left him there.
-Samwel Osieko from Ukunda in Kilifi County was dropped off by his father, who then departed to find money and never returned; teachers later provided him with a uniform.
Principal Tom Mboya Amadi confirmed that admissions for Grade 10 began on January 12, with many students hailing from deeply impoverished backgrounds. The school is currently supporting around 12 such vulnerable learners who lack fundamental items.
The incidents have raised alarms among education advocates, who are urging immediate government and community support to prevent poverty, parental illness, and family crises from barring deserving students from accessing secondary education under the 100% transition policy.
This story highlights the real-world challenges facing Kenya's education system as it implements the Competency-Based Curriculum shift to senior secondary.
