09/12/2025
THE MOST PAINFUL STORY OF WASTED TIME AND BROKEN YOUTH OF LANG'ATA.
Several months ago, the Office of the MP announced what looked like a miracle to youth. A sponsorship program for short courses at Langata TVC. For once, the children of struggling households felt seen. It was funded partly or fully by a certain bank, and we won’t mention names… because what followed was UNACCEPTABLE.
More than 100 needy young people applied. Boys and girls who had nothing but hope carried in their pockets. Some had dropped out of school. Some scraped a C in high school. But they showed up on reporting day with a lot of faith ready to change the trajectory of their lives.
All of them came to do the advertised artisan short courses but on arrival, they were grouped according to their grades. Diploma on one side, Artisan on the other & it seemed fair enough at that point. And for the first time in a long time, these young people woke up early, attended classes faithfully, and believed that finally their life was turning around.
Then came the major twist that shattered them like a man seeing a crocodile on his bed.
Three months later, when they were ready to sit their exams , they were told to pay for the EXAMS. Pay for exams they were promised. They were asked to apply for bursaries which were not available to all. They begged. They called. They visited offices. They waited in corridors like strangers in their own constituency but it was all in vain.
And in the end… majority gave up. It is so painful if you have ever been in such a situation. Where you have attended classes but unable to sit for an exam.
Imagine clocking in three months of your life, 24 hours a day. Three months of walking long distances. Three months of skipping meals. Three months of believing you were building a future. Only to be told your effort means nothing without money for exams which you were not told from onset.
Less than 30 students managed to raise exam fees from friends, relatives and begging from wellwishers.
ALL Artisan students completed their course, but nobody cared whether they did exams or not. They just faded back home. No certificate. No direction. Just silence & heartbreak.
For the Diploma students who managed to sit the exams, their program demanded they continue. But suddenly, they were told to pay fees, of course the sponsorship had ended but they argued they wanted to do the short courses but were advised to do diploma; Nobody cared to listen, they knocked on doors. They pleaded for bursaries. They explained their stories until their voices cracked.
Promises were made by the office of the MP which they are still waiting for feedback after series of letters & begging .Most were turned away. Many were ignored.Under the program, only less than 10 students hardly managed to pay to continue to the second semester and a fraction did their exams recently.
Today, most of them feel used(especially
those who did not manage to do their exams) citing their poverty was photographed & advertised but they have nothing to show for their time wasted.They feel like they were used to advertise the school and were not considered in any way. Some had to quit their hustles to join school. They can easily slap you because of the anger they carry if you step on their toe.
Those who did their artisan exams are yet to even receive their certificates months down the line. ALL BUT PAINFUL.
POLITICS ASIDE.....
I am calling out on the residents of Langata not to allow such emotional stories go down the drain. A serious investigation needs to be conducted to ascertain facts about the whole process, so as to prevent this kind of mistreatment recurring.
The youth are only but fighting for their future & don’t deserve to be treated in this manner. A clear & proper direction should be given to students since this was not a driving course but a structured educational program.
The MP Hon. Jalango Mwenyewe, despite his busy schedule, should personally address these Langata students who are emotionally weakened by how things turned out.
This story was narrated by a young student (name withdeld) who gave up not because he lacked ambition but due to lack of bursary/money and an ear to listen.
Written by T.S, R.M & R.O
WITHOUT PREJUDICE.
