Martin Njagi sat his KCSE exams in 2022 and scored a C+. He had rested his hopes on securing a spot at a tertiary institution for a bachelor’s degree.

When KUCCPS announced placements, Martin received an offer from Meru University of Science & Technology for a degree in Mathematics.

The annual cost of study, Sh. 244,800, was an amount too large for his family to raise.

As per the admission letter, Martin was required to report to the institution on September 11, 2023, by 8 a.m. Deadline day looms as Martin anxiously continues to wait for the failing Higher Education Funds (HEF) portal to get reinstated.

In an exclusive interview, Martin Njagi revealed that he had been locked out from accessing the portal due to technical hitches.

He has, on several occasions attempted to access the portal for a loan, only to receive the same message consistently.

“Unable to complete your request. Please try again, if the problem persists, please contact the administrator,” the portal notified him.

Martin’s future is becoming increasingly uncertain as he feels trapped in a situation that seems hopeless.

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Martin Njagi has had to take on a job at a construction site to cover expenses and support his family. He has three siblings, 2 of whom are attending school.

His mother works as a fishmonger, and Martin’s salary complements hers to help the family get by the day.  However, their earnings continued to prove insufficient to sustain them.

“My mother had to secure a loan to admit my brother to a nearby day school. He was called to Baringo High after scoring 400 marks, but we were not able to admit him because of a lack of money.”

“As of now, we have not paid rent for three months,” Njagi stated, adding that his brother has fee arrears of Sh. 11,000.

Martin Njagi has reached out to well-wishers to come to his aid in this difficult moment.

Earlier on, the Ministry of Education announced a deadline extension for loan applications to October 7.

CS Machogu clarified that the extended application period provided an opportunity for students who faced challenges during the initial application or had not yet applied.

Martin Njagi’s situation resonates with many students who are facing similar ‘technical problems’ while trying to use the HEF portal.