GRASSROOTS FIX

Six weeks after Grade 10 students across the country reported to school, Meshack Lemerian remains at home in Enenkeshiu Village, Kilgoris Constituency, Transmara West Subcounty, not by choice, but because his family cannot afford to send him to school. Meshack, who is visually impaired, successfully sat for his KJSEA examination at Kilgoris DEB Special School. His performance earned him admission to a special secondary school in the Meru region, where he is expected to join Grade 10. However, financial constraints have stalled his transition. Speaking to the media at their rural home, his mother, Everline Mutemperia, expressed both pride in her son’s achievement and distress over their inability to raise the required funds. “My son worked very hard despite his condition. He was called to join school, but we have not been able to take him because we do not have the money,” she said. The family says the delay has been painful, especially at a time when the government has emph...

In the quiet interior of Narok County, where long dusty roads separate villages from classrooms,  Lorenzo Naipa has written a story of courage that now inspires many. A student of Mutenkuar Secondary School, Naipa scored a B- (minus) in the recently released KCSE results, a remarkable achievement for a girl who walked more than five kilometres to school every day. Naipa’s journey through secondary school was marked by hardship. As a day scholar, she often left home before sunrise and returned late in the evening, tired but determined. Her parents struggled to raise school fees, as her other siblings were also enrolled in different colleges. Some days, Naipa went to school without breakfast or lunch, yet she never allowed hunger and fatigue to silence her dreams. With limited resources, she relied on borrowed textbooks, shared notes and the few hours she could find to revise at home. Teachers say she was quiet, focused and never missed a chance to learn, even whe...

For many vulnerable families in Kilgoris, bursaries represent more than financial support. They are the thin line between staying in school and dropping out. But behind the public assurances of transparency in the recent bursary disbursement lies a trail of unanswered questions, missing cheques and parents quietly nursing disappointment. An investigation into the bursary allocation process has uncovered several loopholes that are raising concerns among parents and guardians, many of whom say the system failed those who needed support the most. Some parents interviewed said they were never considered, despite being vulnerable and having school-going children. They claim their children now face an uncertain future after missing out on funding they had hoped would keep them in school. Others reported that although they applied, their bursaries were missing from the final list, with no clear explanation provided. There were also complaints that some beneficiaries appeared on th...

Solomon Taleng'o poses for a photo as he prepares to address members. Photo credit As the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Transmara branch prepares for its elections (2026-2031), Solomon Taleng’o has officially declared his candidacy for the position of Assistant Executive Secretary, competing against two other contestants. Taleng’o, a seasoned teacher in the constituency, is campaigning on a platform centered on transparency and accountability, promising to ensure that union finances, decisions, and activities are conducted openly and fairly. “I am ready to deliver for our members. I will ensure transparency, accountability, and that every decision we make benefits teachers and strengthens our union,” Taleng’o said. He added that under his leadership, KNUT members in Transmara will have a stronger voice, and governance within the branch will be participatory, ethical, and responsive. The elections are expected to take place later this year, with union members k...

Learners from Kilgoris Constituency on Thursday received bursaries during an exercise held at the CDF offices, aimed at easing the cost of education and supporting access to learning for vulnerable families. Several beneficiaries said it was their first time receiving bursary support, with some noting they had lived in the area for over 20 years without ever benefiting from such assistance. Parents and learners welcomed the exercise, describing it as timely and impactful. CDF Chairman Saruni cautioned beneficiaries against paying anyone to access the bursaries, stressing that the support was free. He warned parents and learners not to accept any attempts to sell bursaries to them, adding that cheques for university and college students had already been issued. Saruni also requested beneficiaries to submit school fee receipts to promote accountability. “Do not accept bursaries to be sold to you. This support is free, and no one should ask you for money,” Saruni said. The bur...

On the first day of the new school term, many classrooms in parts of Transmara remained half-empty as fear and uncertainty continued to grip families emerging from weeks of violence and displacement. Although schools officially reopened today, learner turnout was noticeably low, with parents citing insecurity and the ongoing dusk-to-dawn curfew imposed by the government as major obstacles to a smooth resumption of learning. The curfew, introduced to allow security agencies to recover illegal firearms and crack down on individuals linked to recent clashes, has restored relative calm but also deepened anxiety among residents. The curfew was announced in the following areas Oldonyo-Orok, Siteti, Ololoma, Corner, Ratiki, Isokon, Karinkani, Kondamet, Olkiloriti, Angata Barrikoi, Kapkeres, Lolgorian Town, Mashangwa and Sachangwan. Teachers and learners say the heavy security operations, while necessary, have left many families living in fear. At Sankale Primary School, one of the...

As insecurity continues to grip parts of Transmara South, education stakeholders have raised concerns over the safety of learners and teachers ahead of the January school reopening. Ezekiel Lelon, the Kenya Primary School Headteachers Association (KEPSHA) chairperson for Angata Zone and secretary for Transmara South, has urged the government to urgently strengthen security in affected areas to ensure uninterrupted learning. Speaking amid reports of continued violence, Lelon warned that fear and displacement could derail preparations for the new school term unless decisive action is taken. “The safety of our learners and teachers must be treated as a priority. Schools cannot operate effectively in an environment where there is fear and uncertainty,” said Lelon. He further appealed to the government to identify alternative locations for internally displaced persons (IDPs), noting that several schools are currently hosting displaced families, a situation he says could delay re...

WITO Talent Centre has marked a significant milestone in community-based education after successfully hosting its first-ever end-year celebration aimed at empowering children through learning, play, and talent discovery. The event was held on 26th December 2025 at Olomismis Location in Narok County, bringing together over 50 children, volunteers, parents, and community members. Unlike conventional end-year festivities, the celebration was intentionally structured around Kenya’s Competency-Based Education (CBE) framework. Children from all grades participated in activities designed to strengthen problem-solving, creativity, innovation, numeracy, and life skills, demonstrating how learning can continue beyond the classroom, even during school holidays. Through games, group challenges, creative expression and guided interactions, the children learned by doing. They collaborated in teams, solved simple problems, expressed ideas confidently and explored their individ...

For many Maasai girls, the journey through education is fragile, promising at first, but often cut short just as their dreams begin to take shape. Despite increased advocacy for the girl child and growing access to sponsorships, deeply rooted cultural practices continue to force girls out of school, particularly during their teenage years. In several Maasai communities, form two marks a dangerous turning point. It is the stage where girls are considered “grown,” and cultural expectations begin to outweigh academic ambition. Early marriage, female genital mutilation (FGM), and teenage pregnancy converge to quietly erase girls from classrooms, replacing books with bridal preparations. Even sponsorship does not guarantee protection. Many girls drop out of school despite having sponsors committed to supporting them through secondary school and into college. The decision is rarely academic. Instead, it is cultural, shaped by family pressure, community norms and long-held beliefs...

As schools prepare to reopen in a few weeks’ time, hundreds of school-going children in Trans Mara South are grappling with fear, displacement and emotional distress following renewed clashes in the area. Instead of preparing uniforms, books, and school fees, many families are fleeing violence, sleeping in makeshift shelters and struggling to meet basic needs. The ongoing insecurity has disrupted the psychological and emotional stability of learners, raising serious concerns about their readiness to return to class. Children who have witnessed violence, lost homes and been forced to flee are likely to return to school carrying trauma that affects their concentration, memory and overall academic performance. The situation is particularly worrying for candidates who recently sat the Kenya Junior Secondary Education Assessment (KJSEA) and are expected to transition to Grade 10 under the Competency-Based Education system. For these learners, the uncertainty caused by displaceme...

The Ministry of Education has announced that Grade 10 placements for candidates who sat the Kenya Junior Secondary Education Assessment (KJSEA) will be released on Friday, December 19, 2025. Basic Education Principal Secretary Prof. Julius Bitok said the school selection process is progressing well, noting that learners who wish to revise their school or pathway choices will be allowed to do so beginning Tuesday, December 23. Speaking at the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) annual delegates’ conference, Prof. Bitok confirmed that senior schools are fully prepared to receive the first cohort under the Competency-Based Education (CBE) system in January 2026. He added that by December 20, learners and parents will have clarity on the senior schools and pathways students will join when the new academic year begins on January 12, 2026. To access placement details, Prof. Bitok said learners will be required to send their assessment number to 2263, after which they will rec...

 New findings from the USAWA Agenda reveal a systematic failure in Kenya’s pursuit of inclusive education, with children with disabilities facing the highest dropout rates, the lowest levels of enrollment, and some of the most persistent barriers to learning. According to the report, two in every ten children with disabilities are currently out of school, while 15 out of every 100 have dropped out altogether. Even more worrying, five out of every 100 children with disabilities never enroll in school at all, highlighting deep inequalities hidden within the country’s education system. The data further shows that children with autism and mental health challenges face the steepest uphill battle. Learners with autism are more likely to drop out than any other group, while children with mental health conditions are the most likely to never enroll at all. Girls with mental health challenges face even higher dropout rates than boys, exposing a gendered dimension of vulnerabilit...

Children file out of densely packed homes, navigating narrow paths and open drains on their way to class. They walk with purpose, but not toward the government schools that were meant to open doors for them. According to an Oxfam study on education in Nairobi’s slums, the promise of Free Primary Education (FPE) has never been equal across the city. While public schools remain free in principle, the report found that access is deeply uneven. In the study area, nearly half the pupils attended low-cost private schools, not because families preferred them, but because public alternatives were full, far away,  and practically inaccessible. The report describes a stark reality: children in informal settlements often reach public school gates only to find the spaces already taken. Overcrowding and long queues have made these schools unattainable for many families living in poverty. The result is a quiet but powerful form of exclusion, one that pushes the poorest children towar...

Pupils at Nasira Nkujit Primary School received a hands-on lesson in environmental conservation this week when the Mara Basin Conservation Forum, working alongside partners from DSF, KENAWRUA, and Ecolink, visited the school to promote citizen science as a tool for climate action and environmental stewardship. The program is led jointly by Alfred Owino, chairman of the Mara Basin Conservation Forum; Dr. Jacqueline Goldin, CEO of DSF; Enock Kiminta, chairman of the Kenya National Water Resources Users Association (KENAWRUA); and Blaise Janichon, head of Ecolink. Together, the team conducted interactive sessions demonstrating how simple observations such as monitoring water clarity, recording rainfall and noting wildlife changes, can contribute meaningful data toward protecting the Mara River Basin. Owino emphasized that conservation begins at the community level. “Safeguarding the Mara Basin is a shared responsibility,” he said. “Young people can make valuable contributions...

When 13-year-old Simaloi sits in her Grade 7 classroom at Amazing Grace Academy in Shartuka, her eyes often drift across the pages of her books, pages she still cannot read. While her classmates write sentences with ease, she struggles to form even the simplest words. Her inability to read or write is not because she lacks intelligence or willingness. It is because her childhood was stolen long before she ever held a pencil. For years, Simaloi lived a life no child should endure. At home in Kilgoris, she faced relentless beatings, harassment and emotional abuse from her parents. Instead of learning ABCs or enjoying the innocence of play, she was forced to brew chang’aa, a dangerous and illegal trade. The fumes of alcohol replaced the warmth of a home and fear became her constant companion. The torment grew so unbearable that she began sleeping in a roadside tunnel cold, hungry and alone. Her life became a cycle of survival rather than learning, danger instead of development...

In Shartuka, Narok County, school director Dorcas Tarus has turned her institution, Amazing Grace Academy, into a refuge for vulnerable girls, offering education, safety and a second chance at life. In the quiet village of Shartuka, Narok County, stands a modest school whose walls hold stories of pain, resilience and transformation. Amazing Grace Academy, founded and directed by Dorcas Tarus, is more than just a school. It is a lifeline for girls escaping early marriage, teenage pregnancy and female genital mutilation (FGM). Behind many smiles are stories of survival. One of them belongs to Betty Owino, a girl whose life was changed by Dorcas’s compassion. Betty’s story begins in the Migingo informal settlement of Kilgoris town. When Dorcas first met her, Betty was supposed to be in PP1, yet she was not attending school. Her mother, a single woman struggling to raise eight children alone, lived in extreme poverty. Food was scarce, shelter unstable and hope almost gone. Her ...

As the world turns its attention to COP30 in Belém, Brazil, Africa stands at a pivotal crossroads. The continent arrives with a powerful agenda centered on climate justice, equity, and resilience. Yet, despite its moral authority as the region most affected by climate change but least responsible for it, Africa’s success at COP30 will depend on one crucial factor, unity. Without collective purpose and coordination, the continent risks walking away with unfulfilled promises and missed opportunities. African negotiators are preparing to push for concrete outcomes that could redefine the continent’s climate future. Their priorities are clear: scaled-up climate finance, the full operationalization of the Loss and Damage Fund, a fair and just energy transition, and equitable access to global carbon markets. However, these goals can only be achieved if Africa speaks with one voice and resists the fragmentation that has often diluted its influence in global climate negotiations. A...

At the foot of the Elgeyo Marakwet escarpment, rows of homes now lie buried beneath mud. When heavy rains pounded the Chesongoch and Moror area last weekend, torrents of earth and debris came crashing down the slopes, sweeping away houses, crops and livestock. At least thirty people have been confirmed dead, many remain missing and over a thousand homes have been destroyed. Survivors say the disaster struck without warning. “We always get warnings after the rains have already begun. By the time information reaches us, it’s too late to move,” said one resident, whose loved one is still missing. This tragedy is not the first to devastate Elgeyo Marakwet. In November and December 2019, West Pokot, Elgeyo Marakwet and surrounding areas were affected with floods and mudslides due to heavy rains. Lives were lost, property destroyed, and an estimate of over 100 families were displaced from their homes. Experts have long cautioned that the steep escarpment, part of Kenya’s Rift Val...

Narok County is taking center stage in Kenya’s efforts to strengthen food and nutrition security as new community-based initiatives and global shifts in agricultural priorities drive momentum toward more sustainable and inclusive food systems. Findings from the Food Flow Landscape Assessment conducted across Kenya, Tanzania, and Somalia have provided critical insights into how food moves from production to consumption and how inefficiencies in the system affect vulnerable populations. These findings have guided targeted interventions aimed at addressing immediate nutritional needs while laying the groundwork for long-term reforms that make food systems more resilient. In Kenya, an estimated 32.9 percent of children under five are stunted, while wasting rates reach up to 14 percent in some regions. In Narok County, these figures mirror the reality faced by many rural households. Despite being one of Kenya’s leading producers of maize, wheat, and livestock, Narok’s heavy reliance...

KENAWRUA CEO Enock Kiminta explaining the importance of measuring water quality and quantity.  In a bid to promote environmental awareness and climate action through citizen science, the Mara Basin Conservation Forum, in partnership with Ecolink, the Diamonds on the soles of our feet (DSF), and the Kenya National Water Resources Users Association (KENAWRUA), held a sensitization exercise in Kilgoris focusing on community-led conservation. The activity began at River Sankale, where KENAWRUA CEO Enock Kiminta led Mara Basin members through a practical session on how to measure water quality and quantity. Kiminta demonstrated how to distinguish safe water from polluted sources and emphasized the dangers posed by human activities and sewage contamination. “Measuring water quality and quantity will help us know whether the water is safe for use or not,” said Kiminta, urging participants to identify existing gaps in water management and take proactive steps to address them....