Milly Nafula, 32, still hopes to join University, 14 years after scoring an A- in KCSE

The 32-year old excelled in her 2007 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education exam at Manor High School in Kitale with a mean grade of  A- of 71 points.  

At that point she believed that the future was bright and her hope was that she would soon be lifting her family out of poverty.  

She, unfortunately, missed out on a university spot and despite consistent follow-up, she has been unsuccessful in joining a tertiary institution.

Working at a posho mill has become Milly’s life.

“Wakati nilikuwa natarajia kupata barua yangu sikupata. Nikaenda kwa principle nikamuuliza imekuwa two years wale nilikuwa nao wamejoin university akaniambia hajapokea barua yeyote kutoka kwa Joint Admissions Board,” says Milly.  

“Aliniambia mimi mwenyewe niendee nairobi kujua ni nini kinaendelea but sikuwa na fare.”

Raised by a single mother who struggled to make ends meet and put her through school, there was hope that Milly  would join university and raise the family's prospects. 

Her mother died in 2012 . 

“Unajua nimelelewa katika familia maskini sana na mamangu alikuwa single mother na nilichochea tu nipite sana ndio nikuje nisaidie familia yangu na mimi mwenyewe nimetamani nikuwe daktari, nimekuwa na hiyo passion sana,” she says.

Milly says she has knocked on every education office to no avail, making her resort to writing to the District Education Officer (DEO).  

In a letter dated June 28, 2011addressing the principal at Manor High School, the DEO writes: “Naturally, the candidate qualified for university admission for a regular degree programme, which she has not realised to date. We recently wrote to the Joint Admissions Board drawing their attention to the plight of the candidate.”

The DEO further requested to be furnished with a letter from the school which forwarded the university application forms with the attendants list to confirm that Milly actually applied and her form was duly submitted.  

The school is yet to respond.   

Milly reiterates that she will one day become a doctor, but for now, she says, she will keep pigs to get the money needed to join university.