Former Kenya First Lady Lucy Kibaki's inspired student

NYERI: Had it not been for the then First Lady Lucy Kibaki, Stella Wanjiku's dream of completing secondary school would be far fetched.

She was facing the prospects of failing to join secondary school in 2011 after scoring an impressive 413 marks in the 2010 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education.

But when her plight was highlighted by The Standard, the story touched the First Lady who offered to pay all her secondary school fees.

And on Tuesday, when the 2014 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) results were announced, Ms Wanjiku did not disappoint the former First Lady, and her mother.

She scored a straight A of 82 points. She is looking forward to taking her result slip to Ms Kibaki.

But for the 18-year-old, she was just as heartbroken as any other candidate who sat for last year examination since the Kenya National Examinations Council had abolished the ranking system.

"We do not have the digital TV set boxes where I could follow the live coverage of the release of the results, and I was equally shocked when I heard the Cabinet Secretary just launch the results without the usual list of performing schools and candidates," she said.

Wanjiku was a candidate at Bishop Gatimu Ngandu Girls in Mathira West Sub-County.

Her performance would only be described as a double blessing. In 2011, well-wishers came to her aid after she scored 413 marks out of the possible 500 in the 2010 KCPE.

She was admitted to Mahiga Girls Secondary school in Othaya. "I scored 413 and received admission letter to Mahiga Girls where they charged an annual fees of Sh23,200. But my mum being a casual worker could not raise the money," she said.

She added: "The Standard on Saturday highlighted my plight and I received so many calls from people who wanted to help. Luckily, Lucy Kibaki committed to pay my schooling, and even organised for me to be taken to my dream school, Bishop Gatimu Ngandu, instead of Mahiga."

Wanjiku candidly remembers February 3, 2011 as the day when journalists flocked their one-roomed semi-permanent house, where she used to lock herself for fear of facing the harshness of the world.

"I was young and my only dream was joining a good secondary school, but the reality was that my mother could not afford to pay the hefty fees," she said as she recalls the moment when she rode in a Government-owned sleek, executive black Mercedes Benz while being taken to her dream school.

The First Lady had pledged to educate her, with a promise of a First Family treatment throughout her course, and truly, it came to be.