A- student who almost missed school due to lack of fees

Brian Osore from Koyonzo Secondary School was the top student in Matungu sub-county and among top students in Kakamega county with Grade A- of 77 points.[Standard]

Brian Osore, the top candidate in Matungu Sub-County almost lost a chance to join secondary school four years ago.

But despite the challenges, the Koyonzo Secondary School student excelled, scoring A- of 77 points in this year’s KCSE exams.

Osore could not believe it after the results were announced, going by the hurdles he had to overcome to remain in school.

He had missed a chance to join Kibabii High School in 2016 due to lack of fees.

The former pupil at Mirere Primary School scored 385 marks in the 2015 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examinations.

Osore’s father Peter Ocholla and mother Pamela Mukwana are peasant farmers who survive on menial jobs.

After waiting long for help to enable him join his dream school, Osore was disturbed and even contemplated running away from home.

“I almost slumped into depression due to stress in 2016 and even with my cry for help, no one came out to assist me,” said Osore.

During that period his two other siblings were also seeking to join high school.

It was by sheer luck that he got a sponsor to facilitate his school fee a month after others had joined Form One.

They applied for a scholarship at Kenya Education Fund (KEF) but the boy had not scored the minimal cut-off mark for him to get the help.

Days later the organisation changed their mind.

According to the organisation, another student who had been given the scholarship had secured another chance, leaving one slot open.

When The Standard visited the top student at his home in Mirere village, the family of 11 children was celebrating the milestone their brother had brought.

The 18-year-old now aspires to join the University of Nairobi to study a medical course.

“I want to help my poor father and mother raise my other ten siblings and that will be achieved if I became a doctor,” said Osore.