After completing his secondary school education in 2019, Nehemiah Koech’s dream to further his education was cut short by a lack of school fees despite scoring a remarkable A- in his Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exam.
As such, he resorted to doing menial jobs, including working as a security guard to raise school fees. His life took a different turn when media outlets aired his story in February 2023, where well-wishers came to his rescue.
Through philanthropist Irene Mureithi, Nehemiah was able to secure admission at Masinde Muliro University in Kakamega in September 2023, where he is pursuing a nursing course.
“In September, Nehemiah officially reported to Masinde Muliro University. He is a Bachelor of Nursing student,” read a Facebook post made by philanthropist Ndung’u Nyoro, who works with Mureithi in one organization.
Nehemiah was a beneficiary of a scholarship program that saw him finish his secondary education at Baringo High School.
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He later enrolled at St. Paul’s University after he received a letter directing him to pursue Computer Science at the institution. Koech, however, couldn’t continue with his studies as his donors terminated his sponsorship, leaving him hopeless.
To make ends meet, the young man turned to several menial jobs, including working as a watchman, earning Sh200 pay per day. He also dug septic tanks to save money for his university education.
Being the sole breadwinner in his family, his efforts to seek help from various politicians were futile until his story aired on Citizen TV.
“I tried reaching out to people who could at least take me to any MCA to present my case but everyone gave up on me along the way,” Koech recalled.
It was during this time that Irene Mureithi intervened. Mureithi pledged to support Nehemiah’s university education for the next four years.