When Dennis Ochieng Omondi decided to go back to Standard Seven in 2009 aged 31, his dream was to further his education and eventually become a teacher.
But 13 years later, having earned a degree, he still cannot secure a job with the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).
And now, the 44-year-old father of three, who is visually impaired, is not sure whether his decision to go back to school was worth the effort.
But despite his predicament, Mr Omondi has chosen never to give up.
He has a diploma and a degree from Maseno University but TSC has declined to hire him several times for one reason or another.
His last attempt was a few months ago, and he was advised to enrol for an early childhood development (ECD) course.
Born and raised in Ugenya, Siaya County, Mr Omondi’s sight was in perfect condition.
He dropped out of school after his Kenya Certificate of Primary School Education (KCPE) examinations in the early 1980s.
He then studied mechanics and later moved to Mombasa, where he established a successful motor vehicle repair business.
He made weekly earnings of about Sh10,000, enabling him to support his parents and younger siblings.
All was well until he lost his mother and father in a road accident in 1999. A year later, at 23 years old, he accidentally sprayed his eyes with a chemical that he was using at his repair shop.
“My eyes itched so much. But I did not visit any hospital,” he regrets.
He lost his sight barely a week before his planned wedding.
He called his fiancée in Mombasa to explain what had happened. That was the last time he ever heard from her.
His relatives and siblings took him to hospital and prayer houses, with no success.
Handwork courses
“I was depressed and for three months, I had suicidal thoughts. I wished death could come and take me,” he says.
He moved back to Siaya and started attending an eye clinic at Sabatia.
Opticians confirmed that his retina had been badly damaged. There was no chance he could ever see again.
But the doctors advised him to seek counselling and take Braille classes, which he did.
“I left for Nairobi, where I enrolled for Braille classes at Machakos Boarding School for the blind,” he says.
While in Machakos, he also took handwork courses, including shoe polishing and leatherwork.
Two years later, he was out armed with his shoemaking skills and ready to start his own business with a friend he had met at school.
During the 2007 post-election violence, their shop was destroyed by rogue youths, forcing him to return to Siaya.
His main goal was to join a school for the visually impaired so he could continue his studies.
“I was also not ready to start begging on the streets. I have always believed that disability is not inability,” Mr Omondi says.
He sought admission to Kibos School for the blind. At first, teachers were reluctant to admit him. But after agreeing to abide by school rules, including being punished if he broke any of them, he was allowed to study.
“Initially, the teachers thought that I was a new staff member. They were shocked when I said I wanted to learn,” he jokes.
Disappointment
His teachers were impressed by his performance and even found him a sponsor, who saw him through his primary school education.
He later joined Thika School for the blind for his secondary education, scoring a C- in his Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams.
He then enrolled at Maseno University to study for a diploma in special-needs education.
“I graduated with credit in 2015 and later reported to the TSC in search of a job, but I was advised to apply for a degree course in order to be employed,” he said.
So he went back to Maseno to study for a bachelor’s degree in special-needs education, specialising in music and religion.
Upon graduating with a second-class upper division in April 2021, he rushed back to TSC with higher expectations of getting a job.
This time around, he was advised to produce a certificate of good conduct, among other requirements, which he did.
“I was then directed to wait for a reply, which was delivered in three weeks. To my disappointment, however, I had not secured any job as I was under-qualified,” he says.
He would later visit the TSC national offices for an explanation and was asked to study early childhood education in order to get a job.
But he hasn’t given up hope.
“I am 44 years old. Age is slowly catching up with me, I may practise my profession for a short period,” he says.
Kisumu County TSC director Ibrahim Rugut said Mr Omondi’s unsuccessful search for a job may be the result of the grade he scored in KCSE.
For one to enrol for a teaching course, he said, he must have scored a mean grade of C+ and above. But the disabled can sign up with a C-plain.
“The TSC requirements also keep changing. That is why Mr Omondi may not be lucky enough to secure a job with the teachers’ employer,” he said. BY DAILY NATION