Deputy President, William Ruto, has come to the rescue of a Form One student from Machakos who had not reported to school due to a lack of school fees.
The Deputy President - while on a campaign trail on Tuesday, May 10, in the area - was approached by the student identified as Rose Kavindu Mutuku who informed him that she had not yet reported to schools despite the learning calendar already being in motion.
Kavindu told the DP that her mother was not in a position to raise the Ksh50,000 admission fees required by the school for the year.
She presented her admission papers to the Deputy President and while politician David Musila was making his remarks, Ruto went through the admission forms and rescued her.
He asked the girl's mother to come forward and after exchanging a few remarks, he pledged to support her daughter through high school.
The DP donated Ksh200,000 to the family and asked them to pay Kavindu's fees for the four years she will be in secondary school.
"You can hear the mother saying this child has not reported to school because school fees have been a challenge. I want to pay her school fees for four years. Go pay and let this young girl study," DP Ruto stated.
He noted that no child should be stuck at home while their peers are learning. He sympathized with the family and asked the mother to make sure the girl reports to school as soon as possible.
Kavindu's case is not an isolated one. Last week, Education Cabinet Secretary, George Magoha, noted with concern that there was a low turnout in form one admissions.
He forewarned parents against dawdling enlisting their children in school with the hopes that there will be room to change schools for them.
But parents and other education stakeholders have decried tough financial times as the reason for not enrolling their kids.
The CS, however, stated that parents should not refrain from taking their children to school due to a lack of school fees. He clarified that all schools have been instructed to admit all Form One students irrespective of their financial capability.
