Homa Bay Girl at Risk of Missing University as School Withholds Result Slip Over Fee Arrears

• A widow in Homa Bay County has appealed for help to clear the fee arrears that are putting her daughter’s future education in limbo
• The 42-year-old woman is expected to ensure her daughter reports to Kenyatta University on August 27
• She might, however, not be able to meet the deadline as she needs to raise KSh 65,000 to clear secondary school fee arrears before she is given a result slip needed for university admission

Homa Bay: A mother has expressed fear that her daughter might miss the opportunity to join university after her result slip was detained by the school where she sat for her Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination last year.

Olga Awuor, 42, a widow with two children, told TUKO.co.ke that she has been unable to raise KSh 65,000 needed by the school as she has no stable job.

"I only do casual jobs in the neighbourhood, which are not available every day. With that, I've only managed to get something that I use to buy food,” she said.

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The mother noted that she would love to see her daughter join a university, but that dream might be shattered by the fee arrears she’s currently struggling to raise.

Her financial constraints have already forced her firstborn to work as a househelp, as she was unable to pay for her college education.

Her second-born daughter is now at risk of failing to join university.

How much does the Homa Bay widow need?

According to the mother, the school insists she must pay at least KSh 50,000 for her to get the result slip, which is one of the requirements for university admission.

Her daughter, Cynthia Oliveria, sat for her KCSE at St. Mary's Winjo Mixed Secondary School and scored a mean grade of B (plain). She is set to join Kenyatta University on August 27, 2025, less than two weeks away.

The mother and her daughter have now made a passionate appeal for well-wishers to come to their rescue.

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"I'm requesting anyone who may be in a position to come and help me join a university so that I can pursue the Health Records and Information Technology (IT) course, which has been my dream,” Oliveria said.

She noted that throughout her secondary school education, she has been depending on well-wishers and her efforts of working at the Lake Victoria beaches.

“Whenever I would be sent home for fees, and I would go to load and offload omena at the beaches to get something. Carrying a basin of fresh omena would cost KSh 200," she recounted.

Is a school allowed to detain a result slip over fee arrears?

Despite the financial challenges that the mother has been facing, St. Mary's Winjo Mixed Secondary School Deputy Principal Joseph Owino maintains that the result slip can only be released upon payment of the fee arrears.

He said the school also has bills that need to be settled.

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"We have suppliers and other non-teaching staff who also depend on the same money to educate their children. It would be courteous to clear the balance before picking the result slip," Owino said.

Government position on schools withholding certificates

Previously, TUKO.co.ke reported that the government had directed schools to release all certificates they were withholding over fee arrears.

Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba said school heads must ensure the certificates are available to learners who need them.

The directive affected the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) and the Kenya Secondary Certificate Education (KCSE).

Source: TUKO.co.ke