Kericho man returns to school, tops KCSE after decade in wheelchair

Imagine missing the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) after suffering a life-changing injury during a school rugby match, spending a decade at home, and then returning in a wheelchair to sit the national examination—only to emerge the top student in your school.

This is the inspiring story of Alex Kipkirui, who 10 years ago sustained a spinal injury that left him confined to a wheelchair, forcing him to drop out of school.

A decade later, he finally got a chance to sit the KCSE and beat the odds, emerging as the top student at Borborwet Secondary School with a B plain.

Citizen TV caught up with him at their home in Borborwet, Belgut in Kericho County, where he slowly makes his way around the compound with the support of a relative.

Together, they head towards a set of makeshift parallel bars. With no finances to access regular physiotherapy, he uses the improvised equipment for daily locomotor training, holding on to the hope that one day he will recover and walk again.

For the past decade, it has been his routine ever since he sustained a spinal cord injury during school games while in Form Four at Kericho High School.

“I was called by teachers who told me my son, Alex Kipkirui, had been injured at school and had been taken to the hospital. When I asked him what had happened, he told me he was paralysed after being hit while playing rugby,” said his father, Musa Langat.

The injury forced Kipkirui out of school, denying him the chance to sit the KCSE in 2015. While his classmates were preparing for their final exams, his parents were instead moving from one hospital to another in search of medical help. In a desperate bid to save their son, the family even sold their land to meet the rising medical costs.

“Since I got injured, we have gone through many challenges, especially financial problems. I was advised to attend physiotherapy twice a week, but since the injury, I have only managed to go for about one year,” Kipkirui said.

Even as he struggled to regain his ability to walk, Kipkirui held on to another dream—to one day sit the KCSE, excel and pursue a career in computer science. In 2025, that long-held dream finally became a reality.

“Returning to school was not easy. We registered at Borborwet Secondary School and I studied from home for the whole of last year. Recently, I went to sit the exam from home and I emerged the top student with a B plain,” he said.

Kipkirui topped his school, where only 18 out of 128 candidates attained a grade of C plus and above. Despite the achievement, uncertainty clouds his future. His ageing parents are unable to finance his university education, with four other siblings still in school and relying on the same limited resources.

“My dream is to study computer science, but where I am there are challenges with network connectivity. We do not have Wi-Fi, and I do not have a computer to continue learning. Since I cannot walk, I need to study online. I am appealing to well-wishers and leaders to support me,” Kipkirui said.

His neighbours and local leaders have echoed the appeal.

“I would really like people to help this young man. The family has no jobs and they have other children—three in university and one in high school,” said a neighbour, Irene Rop.

Kapsurer MCA Peter Kemoi said Borborwet Secondary School played a key role in enabling Kipkirui to sit the exam.

“I thank Borborwet Secondary School for giving him a chance to register and sit the exam, considering his condition. I supported him with transport during the examination period,” he said.

With his strong performance, Kipkirui now hopes for a scholarship and medical support to help him achieve his dream and transform his family’s situation.