Parent dilemma as daughter risk missing KCSE exam over Sh100, 000 fee balance

Diana Atieno may miss to sit for her Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations after Cardinal Otunga Girls School Bungoma chased her away over Sh100, 000 fee balance.


The school management yesterday confirmed that the 17-year-old has not paid a single cent for the last two years, and has basically been learning for free.


"It is true that Diana is our student in form four white, and she has a balance of about Sh105, 000. The father has been promising that he would pay but no positive response has been forthcoming, so we would appreciate if someone comes to her aid," said School Principal Margret Sifuna.


According to documents seen by the Standard, Atieno left school on February 6, as indicated in her fee leave out sheet, with instructions never to return to the school without the money.


The third born in a family of five is desolate and has resorted having to move from office to office seeking elusive intervention to see her complete her secondary education.


Her performance, as indicated in her report forms, show a downward trend in performance, with her latest report bearing the comment "Reduce your absenteeism", a fact corroborating the school principal's remarks.


To Atieno, education was her only route out of the poverty stricken Mashambani village, but with the hard stand by the school management, she may as well join the statistics of girl child school dropouts and early marriages.


Her mother, Grace Achieng, a peasant farmer at her rural Mashambani Village in Muhoroni County yesterday expressed hopelessness, as her last hope was dashed by the local Constituency Development Fund bursary officials.


Her daughter had scored 344 marks out of the possible 500 in the 2013 KCPE, and she had breathed a sigh of relief that the girl would land one of the most publicized scholarships after she got admission at the top flight cardinal Otunga School in Bungoma. This never was.


According to Achieng, her daughter was able to stay in school without paying fees for the long period due to assurances by the area CDF management that it would pay the entire balance.


A letter signed by Fund Manager Henry Opilo and addressed to the school last month came as a sign of hope to the humble family.


The later dated January 9, indicated that the CDF had taken up Atieno's issue and would factor it in as part of the bursary beneficiaries.


"The CDF has designed a kitty to sponsor fully students with special needs such as total orphans, partial; orphans and those with both parents but are burdened. Atieno falls under one of the mentioned categories. Kindly allow her to continue with her studies as she awaits her allocation in due time," read the letter in part.


This however changed last week after the CDF changed mind, indicating that Atieno's sister at Koru Girl Secondary School had benefited from the funds, hence the parents had to seek alternative sources.

"I have no any other option but to sit with her in the house hoping that God will give us an answer at his best time," said Achieng.