By DUNCAN WASWA
April 26, 2026| For dozens of families in Bungoma County, the rising cost of education has become an unbearable burden. School fees arrears now threaten to extinguish the dreams of bright but needy students.
On Saturday, however, hope arrived in the form of 76 bank cheques.
Westlands MP and Bungoma gubernatorial aspirant Tim Wanyonyi issued the education bursaries during an emotional ceremony at the Eninga Command Center. Parents, students, and local leaders gathered as one by one, beneficiaries stepped forward to receive the lifeline.
“Every parent wants their child to do better and go further than they did. That is why we must keep investing in education,” Wanyonyi told the gathering.
He urged students to remain disciplined and focused despite the economic hardships shaking their households. “Education is the key to empowering communities and breaking the cycle of poverty,” he added.
The political timing is impossible to ignore.
Wanyonyi faces stiff competition for the Bungoma top seat in the 2027 General Election from Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa, former Governor Wycliffe Wangamati, and businessman Zachariah Baraza, among others. But on this day, politics took a backseat to survival.
One Form Four student from Kanduyi described the support as a “lifeline.”
“My mother has been struggling after my father lost his job. I was almost sent home last week,” she said, clutching her cheque. “This means I can now prepare for my exams peacefully.”
Another beneficiary admitted she had missed entire weeks of classes due to unpaid fees. Her parents had even discussed withdrawing her from school. For her, Saturday was not a political rally. It was a resurrection.
Parents who attended praised Wanyonyi for standing with vulnerable families during harsh economic times. Community leaders challenged other politicians to follow suit, noting that empowering young people through education is the single most effective weapon against unemployment, crime, and generational poverty.
Education stakeholders in Bungoma have repeatedly warned of rising dropout rates, especially in rural areas where families depend on small-scale farming and informal jobs. As schools continue to demand fees, needy students remain the most vulnerable.
Wanyonyi pledged to establish a stronger education fund if he wins the gubernatorial seat. “No child should be left behind because of financial challenges,” he said.
For the 76 beneficiaries, Saturday was more than a financial boost. It was a reminder that their dreams still matter — and that someone believes in their future.
As they walked away clutching their cheques, hope was etched on their faces. Not political hope. Academic hope. The kind that turns despair into success.
And in a county where poverty continues to chase young people out of the classroom, that kind of hope may be the rarest currency of all.