Fears after school leaver goes missing over withheld KCSE certificate
A high school leaver has gone missing after she was reportedly denied her Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) certificate over fee arrears.
Felishina Nyambura sat for the 2014 KCSE exams at Kerugoya Girls High School and had since been trying to get her certificate with no success. Coming from a poor family, Nyambura’s father even worked as a casual laborer at the school to help in offsetting some of the fees arrears.
School records show that she has a fee arrears of sh116, 136.
In 2014, then Education Cabinet Secretary Jacob Kaimenyi directed heads of public secondary schools to release KCSE certificates being held due to non-payment of fees.
A well wisher from their village in Kikuyu, Mathew Gathua, claimed the school had been frustrating Nyambura’s efforts to get her certificate.
He told Nairobi News that he is ready to pay for Nyambura’s college education.
GOT MARRIED
Due to the numerous disappointments, the girl got married in 2015. She lives with her husband in Kikuyu. But joint efforts by her husband and Mr Gathau to get the certificate have also been futile.
“The school has been frustrating her and taking her in circles. Nyambura has been affected emotionally, every time she comes back from the school she is crying,” said Mr Gathua.
“This year she went to the school accompanied by her husband. She was told that there are some books, a cup and spoon that she still owes the school. I bought the items for her to take to the school but still no certificate was given to her,” he said.
Last week on Tuesday morning, her husband could not accompany her to the school because of work commitments. That was the day Nyambura was last seen by her family. Eyewitnesses say the saw her leaving the school in tears.
“Every time we went to the school and asked to see the principle, we were told that she is in a meeting somewhere. That Tuesday I couldn’t accompany her because I had work to attend to, but I escorted her to the school and left her there,” Samuel Ngotho, her husband, told Nairobi News.
“Hours later when she did not return home, we reported her missing at Kerugoya police station.”
Nyambura mother, Nancy Wairimu, confirmed to Nairobi News that her daughter went missing last Tuesday after visiting the school.
LAST SEEN
“On Friday, Nyambura and her husband went to the to see the headmistress, but they were told she is unavailable. On Monday they went again but it was the same case. On Tuesday her husband was called to work in Nairobi. According to reports from the school, she was last seen at the premises at 10am,” said Mrs Wairimu.
She went on: “I’m worried about my daughter, nobody knows where she is. We have asked all her friends but they haven’t seen her. And to make matters worse she doesn’t even have a phone.”
The school has however refuted accusations of maliciously withholding Nyambura’ certificate.
“The school engages parents who are not able to pay their children’s fees by offering them opportunities to become workers at the school and their salaries are used to offset some of their children’s school fees. However the said girl’s parent was given such an opportunity but later absconded duty without giving any explanation,” explained Ms Githinji, the school’s deputy headmistress.
“We are ready to give her her papers, and the fees arrears are not a big issue since the directive was given by Kaimenyi. We hope that she is found soon so that she can be able to meet with the headmistress for her clearance,” said Ms Githinji.