In a heart-wrenching scene at a local high school in Kakamega, 54-year-old Mary Nekesa, who is visually impaired, arrived gripping her son’s hand. She had no admission letter, no school fees, and no shopping—just a cane in one hand and her son’s KCPE result slip in the other.

Nekesa, a widow who lost her sight five years ago, told the principal that she could not sit at home and watch her son, who scored 380 marks, rot in the village. "I cannot see the blackboard, but I can see his future," she said. "I am here to ask for a chance. I will weed the school farm if I have to, but he must learn."

A Mother's Resolve

Her story highlights the desperation of parents amid the rising cost of education. Despite the government's capitation, the "hidden costs" of lunch, uniforms, and remedial fees lock out the poorest.

• Community Intervention: Touched by her resolve, the school administration has allowed the boy to start classes while mobilizing the alumni association to sponsor his uniform and bedding.
• Systemic Failure: Cases like Nekesa’s are slipping through the cracks of the specialized bursary funds meant for people with disabilities (PWDs), which critics say are often embezzled or delayed.

Nekesa left the school later that day, guided by a stranger, but her son stayed behind—a testament to the power of a mother who refused to let her disability cripple her child's dreams.