This archive report was first published on 6 July 2021.
July 6, 2021
Doris Kariiri, a determined student at Zetech University in Nairobi, is fighting to pursue her dreams despite her parents' decision to abandon her education after joining the Kabonokia sect in 2019.
Originally from Muramba wa Mbogo village in Tharaka, Tharaka Nithi County, Kariiri worked hard in secondary school to attain the grades that allowed her to join university, hoping to extricate her family from abject poverty and set a good example to her younger siblings.
However, her parents' newfound faith has put a halt to her ambitions. After joining the sect, they asked Kariiri and her siblings to drop out of school, citing that education is 'evil earthly wisdom' that goes against their faith.
But Kariiri, who was in Form Four at the time, insisted on continuing with her education and went on to sit her Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examination. She performed well and secured admission to Zetech University to study for a bachelor's degree in accounting and finance.
Despite her parents' refusal to support her education, Kariiri raised Sh15,000 from well-wishers and used a loan from the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) to pay her tuition fees, pay hostel rent, and meet other basic needs.
However, her parents continued to threaten to disown her if she pursued her education, forcing Kariiri to survive on help from friends and well-wishers.
Her siblings, including her 14-year-old sister who was forced to drop out of school, are also struggling to continue their education. The family's nine-year-old last-born child has been taken in by a relative who has promised to educate her.
Chief Nyaga Mwinja of Gatue location has mobilized some money to pay Kariiri's rent after she was kicked out of the university hostel. Relatives have also promised to support the other children to continue with their education, while the government is keen to take legal action against the parents.
Maendeleo ya Wanawake county coordinator Aniceta Kiriga has called for new strategies in dealing with the Kabonokia sect, which has followers in Meru, Embu, and Kitui counties but is dominant in Tharaka North sub-county.
