David Muhia, the 14-year-old boy from Kawira village in Gatundu North who aced the 2023 KCPE exams managing to score 379 marks but failed to join form one due to abject poverty in his family now has a reason to smile.
This after a well-wisher offered him a four-year scholarship to pursue his secondary education.
Muhia who comes from a poor family of 11 siblings will now join his fellow students after he was sponsored by Gukena FM presenter James Muiru alias MC Kajim.
Gukena Fm is owned by Radio Africa Group which also owns the Star newspaper and website.
MC Kajim, a Gatundu North constituent came out to support him after he realized that the boy was on the verge of losing his form one slot.
Besides paying his school fees, Kajim also awarded Muhia with assorted school items that have been indicated as key requirements to warrant his admission at Weithaga Boys High School in Murang’a County.
Speaking after he toured the derelict home in the remote village, the well-wisher who also shopped food items for the hunger-stricken family said he could not contend to support the destitute family and the bright boy whose education has been hanging on a cliff.
Kajim added that being the last KCPE since the new Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) was rolled out, Muhia could not have repeated class eight and urgently needed a hand to hold him through his secondary education.
“I saw the story of Muhia and his family in the media and indeed, the bright boy deserves my support. I will support his four-year education and purchase all the items required including school uniforms, shoes and other assorted items.
"I will walk a journey with Muhia for four years because his future is unknown. We could be helping a future president. He did well in his exams and it is time to reap, he will join school without further delays,” said Kajim.
He added:
“My request to well-wishers is, we have similar cases in our various communities and we have a responsibility to support such children pursue education. Let us all join hands and do everything possible to shape the future of those in need."
Muhia’s father James Gitau who is also grappling with another load of educating his other children including a son who excelled in his 2022 KCSE exams but has never joined university could not hide his joy following the initiative.
He said that the burden of taking Muhia to school had given him overwhelming thoughts as he is one of his brightest boys who was on the verge of missing his secondary education.
“I’m extremely excited and I feel that the heavy load I was carrying is now less weighty. I can now concentrate on struggling to educate the other children, some of whom are still at home.
"I thank God for this milestone and I pray that well-wishers will come through even for other children in the village who are facing similar challenges,” said Gitau.
On his part, elated Muhia who shed tears of joy after the announcement that he would join secondary school vowed to work hard in his studies to enable him to pursue electrical engineering and later rescue his family out of poverty.
Muhia further vowed to work hard to ensure he supports other children in the society in future.
“May God bless the well-wisher and I pledge that I will do everything possible to make you proud. It will be my joy to one day get my family out of this destitute situation and support other children suffering similar predicaments,” vowed the bright boy.
Emmanuel Mwaura Gicharu, a Nyumba Kumi official from Kawira village told journalists that the village has numerous needy cases that deserve to be highlighted to attract well-wishers’ support.
The story of Muhia who sat for his Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) at Kawira Primary School last year and scored 379 marks was highlighted by the Star attracting the attention of the well-wisher.
Despite having received an admission letter to join Weithaga Boys High School in Kangema, Murang'a County, his penniless family could not raise money to fund the admission fees, or buy uniforms among other key requirements.
Gatundu North MP Elijah Njoroge Kururia has since pledged to also support the family with a cheque of Sh 30,000 to aid Muhia in his education.