George Ingatwa Atonya, the boy who surprised many after he boldly walked to Kakamega School from Nandi County to join Form One in January, despite his poor background has lost his mother.
His mother, Jescah Chekuku who has been sickly died on Monday night at their rural home in Sasimon village in Nandi Central.
George sat his Kenya Certificate of Primary Education exams in 2019 at Kipsugur Primary School. Undaunted by the poverty and hardship he has endured from childhood after the death of his father, the 15-year-old boy scored 390 marks in the exam.
When he received his Form One admission letter from Kakamaga School, he was not cowed by his predicament and decided to take matters in his hands.
He left home early in the morning and persuaded a boda-boda rider to take him to his dream school in Kakamega Town after he had walked for some distance.
He arrived ta the school, looking dishevelled and without shoes as he held out his Form One admission letter and pleaded with the principal Gerald Orina to admit him, since his mother was too poor to pay his fees.
Eventually, the boy was admitted to school after well-wishers including the Kakamega School alumni led by Mr William Ojonyo helped raised funds to pay his fees.
Nandi Central deputy county commissioner George Matundura said his team will arrange for the community to support the children as they mourn their mother.