Kenyan Man Who Spent 22 Years in Primary School and Sat KCPE Nine Times Yet to Get a Job After Graduation

A 39-year-old Kenyan man who graduated from university last year after spending more than 20 years in primary school is yet to secure a job.

Mathew Aol Nyamlori graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Policy and Administration from Kenyatta University in July last year.

Nyamlori joined Kenyatta University in 2017 after scoring a B+ in KCSE, having spent 22 years in primary school and sitting the KCPE examination nine times. During his long academic journey, he attended five high schools and nine primary schools.

Nyamlori did not spend over 20 years in primary school because he was a slow learner, but because his parents could not afford to fund his education.

For that reason, he decided to pursue excellence in academic performance in order to get a scholarship or a well-wisher to finance his education.

Despite being academically gifted, Nyamlori constantly lacked financial support whenever he transitioned to secondary school.

For instance, he scored 434 marks out of 500 in 2004 KCPE and got admission to Maseno School but could not join due to a lack of school fees. 

The school management sympathized with him and allowed him to join Form One four months later but he dropped out while in Form Two as he had not paid any fees since admission.

After five KCPE attempts and missed admission to more than three national schools, Nyamlori traveled to Nairobi in 2007 to take menial jobs.

He did not stay in the city for long before returning to his village in Oyugis, Homa Bay County to sit KCPE a sixth time at Agoro Sare Primary School where he was given a house to reside in. He sat KCPE in 2008 and scored 395 marks and was admitted to Maranda School but did not join. 

He instead joined Aldorebby Junior Academy in Narok for another KCPE attempt in 2009, scoring 406 marks and got admission to Kapsabet Boys High School. He did not join.

The following year, he went to Agape Academy in Kosele for the eighth KCPE attempt and received an admission letter from Maranda High School for the second time but he still did not join due to a lack of fees.

In 2011, Nyamlori sat his ninth KCPE at Oriri Primary School in Oyugis and got admitted to Nairobi School. This time he was lucky as Equity Bank’s Wings To Fly program awarded him a scholarship that culminated in his graduation in July last year.

But eight months after his graduation, Nyamlori remains unemployed and has been earning a living by conducting research and writing academic proposals, according to Daily Nation. 

Nyamlori, who is keen to expand his education by studying law, says many people promised to give him a job after his story hit headlines last year but then failed to follow through. 

“So many people, both locally and abroad, promised to give me a job and some money to start a business but no one kept their word. These were ‘emotional pledges’ from people who knew I was world-weary and desperately needed a source of income to support my family and myself,” he said.