Kakamega man saved, waited for 23 years to raise university fees

Bramuel Wanami Mukoyani outside his house in Kimang'et village in Kakamega County. [PHOTO: MUMO MUNUVE] BRAMUEL WANAMI MUKOYANI wanted to go to university. After completing Form Four in 1993, he started saving from working as a garbage collector, a trailer turnboy and a small scale farmer. 23 years later, he enrolled for a Diploma course in County Governance at JKUAT before proceeding for a bachelor's degree in Public Administration and Leadership. He takes MUMO MUNUVE through his journey. Tell us about yourself I am a 47 year-old Kenyan, a husband a father to three and a farmer from Kimang'et village in Kakamega County. I am the firstborn in a polygamous family with 10 siblings. I schooled in 5 different primary schools before proceeding to Malava boys high school where I finished my form four in 1993. My parents separated when I was in class one and I had to endure living with a step-mother after my real mother got a job as a matron in Kibos primary school for the blind. I graduated with a bachelor's degree in Public Administration and Leadership from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT). How was it being raised by a step-mother? My step mother hated me turned my father against me. At one time, one of her children urinated in a cup and she forced me to drink the urine because she thought I was behind it. On many occasions she denied me food and I survived courtesy of a generous neighbor who offered me food. Have you ever shared your troubles with your father? Yes. I once opened up to my father but he could hear none of it. At that time, he lived in Nairobi and would come home twice or three times a year. He would be fed with negativity about me and he believed that I was a naughty boy. Instead of listening to me, he hired AP officers to beat me up. I felt like my world was crumbling. I was helpless and no one could either help me or at least listen to me. I resorted to taking drugs specifically bhang. What were some of the challenges you experienced in high school? My admission to secondary school was very miserable. I did not have uniform, no box, no bedding until my mother bought them for me two weeks later. My father only paid for my admission fee to secure the opportunity. Life in high school was an advantage for me because I could eat frequently unlike at home where getting food was not guaranteed. Tell us about the journey through campus. After completing Form Four in 1993, I went to Nairobi to look for a job. All I wanted was to save money for my studies. I could save whatever little I got when working as garbage collector and trailor turboy. I later went back home and started small scale farming. In 2016, I enrolled for a diploma course in county governance at JKUAT before proceeding for a bachelor's degree in public administration and leadership where I graduated in December 2020. My brother funded by degree and that motivated me to work even harder. What were some of the challenges you faced in campus? I had to endure living in a grass-thatched house because I channeled my money into paying my school fees. Locals would mock me for living in such a house but I had to endure. I could use all the available transport means to catch up with lectures. I could even stop police vehicles, cane tractors and ambulances to ask for lifts. Despite all these challenges, what motivated you to keep moving? I read a newspaper story about a guy from Kibera who sat his K.C.S.E working as a guard. I kept that piece of paper and would read the story whenever I was low. My own brother also rose through the ranks from guarding to management after acquiring his degree and then secured a job with a county government. One of my mother's seniors at the workplace also openly told my mother that his children will never sit on a chair like his. These stories always inspired me. What are your future plans? My sister's dowry stabilized us financially. We were given six cows, two bullocks and four heifers and so we would partner with friends to make a ploughing team which led to increased yields from farming. I intend to finance my master's degree in public policy and administration. Finally, what is your advice to people going through hardship? They should keep pushing despite what they are going through today. One thing is for sure, that if you work hard then you will have an opportunity to change your story. Tomorrow is full of uncertainty, they should keep the faith and work towards a brighter future.

Kakamega man saved, waited for 23 years to raise university fees

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Kakamega man saved, waited for 23 years to raise university fees

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