Wajir West Member of Parliament Yussuf Farah has rolled out a school fees sponsorship programme targeting needy secondary school students in the constituency to cushion families affected by the prolonged drought.
The initiative comes amid recurring droughts in Northern Kenya that have led to significant livestock losses, undermining household incomes and limiting parents’ ability to meet education costs.
Local education officials said the programme targets students from vulnerable households, with beneficiaries identified through schools and community-based structures.
Mohamed Aden, a Form Four student and one of the beneficiaries, said the support enabled him to remain in school after his family lost most of its livestock.
“I was about to drop out because my parents could not raise the fees. This support has allowed me to continue with my studies,” he said.
Parents whose children benefited from the programme said the assistance had eased the financial burden caused by the drought.
“The livestock are gone, and paying school fees has become impossible. This support has kept our children in school,” said Ahmed, a parent in Wajir West.
School administrators said drought-related poverty has contributed to increased absenteeism and dropouts by students in schools in the constituency.
Abdulaziz Hadado, a secondary school principal in Wajir West, said many learners had previously been sent home due to unpaid fees.
“This programme has helped stabilise learning for students whose parents were unable to pay school fees,” he said.
The MP said the initiative is part of broader efforts to support education in the constituency as it continues to face climate-related challenges.
By Hamdi Buthul
