DNK International Courtesy of Shabaan Makokha,Kakamega.
A blind candidate’s dream of joining Senior School hangs in the balance after the Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) allegedly failed to release his results, plunging his family into despair and raising questions about the treatment of learners with special needs.
Eighteen-year-old Juma Abdallah, who lost his sight in Standard Four, had pinned his hopes on excelling in the 2025 Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA) as his pathway to a better future. His ambition is to become a lawyer and defend the rights of the vulnerable. But months after the results were released, his score remains missing.
His father, Abdallah Juma, says repeated visits to the local education office and calls to the school head teacher, Catherine Washiali, have yielded nothing. The head teacher reportedly promised to follow up with KNEC but no solution has been forthcoming.
The family’s direct attempt to reach KNEC only deepened their shock.
“We called the customer care number on their website,” Mr. Abdallah said. “After waiting a whole day for a return call, we were told to pay Sh10,000 so that the results could be released.”
The demand contradicts KNEC’s own procedures, which require all result queries to be channelled through school heads within 30 days, with formal complaints forwarded via Sub-County Education offices.
In their desperation, the family travelled to Koyonzo School and later to the Matungu Sub-County Education office, only to find the offices deserted, with officials attending a meeting in Kakamega and unreachable by phone.
Juma’s journey has been one of resilience. After losing his sight in Standard Four, he stayed out of school for years until a Good Samaritan helped him enrol at Koyonzo. He sat his examinations with hope, targeting over 85 points to secure a place in Grade Ten.
That hope is now slipping away. With his father unemployed and the family struggling, Juma depended on scholarships to proceed to Senior School.
“I have already missed five scholarship opportunities because I have no results to present,” he said.
His plea is emotional and direct:
“Until when will I stay at home? I am asking KNEC to release my results so that I can join my classmates. They say disability is not inability. Am I being punished for being blind?”
The 2025 KJSEA introduced a new eight-level achievement system, replacing traditional marks. Although the Ministry of Education confirmed that all candidates, including those with special needs, sat the examinations, no specific data was released on their performance.
A contrast in fortunes is evident within the same region. More than 500 learners in Matungu Constituency who risked missing Senior School due to lack of fees have received Sh50 million in bursaries from the NG-CDF, allocated by area MP Peter Nabulindo.
“My first priority is education. No child from Matungu should stay at home because of school fees,” the MP said, noting that new classrooms have also been built to improve learning conditions.
As hundreds of students celebrate a lifeline, Juma’s unanswered cry underscores a troubling reality — a vulnerable learner left stranded at the very doorstep of his dreams.
