In Kilifi and Tana River Counties, early marriages and teen pregnancies are on the rise due to a lack of school fees that allow students to enter Form One.
Poor parents are begging the government and well-wishers to come to their aid in ensuring that their children, who are to join various secondary schools across the country, do so to avert a catastrophe.
At Kanagoni village in Magarini Sub County, Kilifi County, Mrs Kadzo Karisa Wanje is worried that her twin daughters may be wasted away in the event they fail to join Mwasere Girls High School in Taita Taveta County.
Her daughters, Mary Kulola and Esther Wanyinya sat their Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) at Bandacho primary school in Marereni area and scored 363 and 369 marks respectively and they all received calling letters to join Mwasere girls.
Mrs. Kadzo Karisa Wanje of Kanagoni village in Magarini Sub County, Kilifi County, is concerned that her twin girls will be wasted away if they do not enrol at Mwasere Girls High School in Taita Taveta County.
Their story is similar to that of Priscah Kadzo, who was invited to join Bahari Girls High School after scoring 357 in KCPE at Mzongoloni Primary School in Kilifi North Sub County.
She stated that she was supposed to report to school on Monday last week but was unable to do so due to a lack of school money.
The Tana Delta Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (KESSHA) chairman John Karanja said that the schools in the area were in agreement that they will let students join form one even if they lack money and uniform but still very few parents had taken their children to school.
He blamed the parents for their negligence saying that their actions were hindering the 100 percent transition from primary school to secondary school.
