- Businessman Patrick Wanjau stepped in to sponsor Peter Losike after a television report showed the boy studying under a streetlight in Lodwar
- Losike, an orphan from Turkana, is now in his second year at Blooms School under a full boarding sponsorship funded by Wanjau
- Wanjau, who supports 19 students in total, said he plans to fund Losike's education all the way through to university
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A Turkana boy who drew national attention after he was filmed completing his homework beneath a streetlight in Lodwar is now enrolled at a boarding school, with his fees fully covered by businessman and philanthropist Patrick Wanjau.
Wanjau said he was moved to act after watching a television report about the boy, Peter Losike, whose home had no electricity, leaving him dependent on outdoor floodlighting to study at night.
He subsequently reached out to those connected to the story and committed to funding the student's education all the way through to university.
Losike is currently in his second year at Blooms School, where Wanjau is covering the full cost of his boarding education.
From Lodwar's Streets to a Boarding Classroom
Wanjau described Losike as an orphan confronting poverty, drought and limited opportunity in Turkana County, yet one whose resolve to keep learning compelled him to offer support.
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"I felt a deep sense of responsibility to help this boy after witnessing the sheer desire burning within him to transform his life," Wanjau said.
He added that the sponsorship represented more than a financial transaction.
"Supporting him to join school and covering his school fees is not merely an act of charity; it is an investment in a young life that refuses to be defined by hardship," Wanjau said.
He expressed hope that education would eventually allow Losike to access wider opportunities and give back to his community.
Wanjau Supports 19 Students, 6 at University
Losike is one of 19 students Wanjau is currently sponsoring through schooling, six of whom are enrolled at university level.
The student's journey highlights a broader challenge facing learners across Kenya. Although the government guarantees free basic education, families continue to shoulder additional costs for uniforms, meals and other expenses.
A 2026 survey found parents were paying an average of KSh 62,715 per child, exceeding the gazetted parental contribution of KSh 53,554, while the average bill at public day secondary schools stood at KSh 20,619.
Funding pressures also weigh on institutions. The Ministry of Education reported a KSh 48.3 billion capitation shortfall for the 2025/26 financial year.
Dropout rates remain a concern. Data from the Kenya National Examinations Council shows that 151,691 learners from the first Competency-Based Education cohort did not reach the Grade 9 assessment in 2025, having enrolled in Grade 4 in 2019.
A 2021 national study separately estimated that 1.13 million children aged six to 13 were out of school across the country.
For Losike, the streetlight in Lodwar that once served as his only study space is no longer part of his daily routine. He now lives and learns within a structured school environment, supported by a sponsor who says he has no intention of stopping until the boy completes his degree.
Source: TUKO.co.ke