NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 19 — A Turkana boy whose determination to study under a streetlight in Lodwar captured national attention is now attending boarding school under a sponsorship that businessman and philanthropist Patrick Wanjau says will extend through university.
Peter Losike’s story first drew public attention when he was filmed doing his homework outdoors at night beneath a floodlight because his home lacked electricity.
The images of the boy studying despite difficult circumstances moved Wanjau to intervene, offering to cover his education from his current schooling through university.
“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.
Losike is now in his second year at Blooms School, where Wanjau says he is fully sponsoring his boarding education, giving him access to a more structured learning environment.
Wanjau said he reached out to those involved in the original media report after watching the boy study under the streetlight and offered to take responsibility for his education.
He described Losike as an orphan whose circumstances had been shaped by poverty, drought and limited opportunities in Turkana, but whose determination to learn convinced him that supporting his education could change his future.
“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,” he said.
Wanjau said he intended to sustain the sponsorship until Losike completed university, giving the student an opportunity to pursue higher education without the financial burden that could otherwise interrupt his studies.
Losike is among 19 students Wanjau says he is supporting through education, six of whom are currently at university.
The philanthropist said his support went beyond paying school fees, describing education sponsorship as an investment in young people whose circumstances might otherwise limit their opportunities.
He expressed hope that Losike would eventually use his education to improve his own circumstances and contribute to his community.
For Losike, the sponsorship marks a significant change from the days when a streetlight was necessary to complete his homework after dark.
His experience also highlights the challenges facing learners from disadvantaged households, where inadequate access to electricity, poverty and the cost of schooling can make it difficult to keep up with their education.
Although Kenya guarantees free basic education in public schools, families still face expenses for uniforms, meals, transport and other school requirements.
A 2026 survey found that parents were expected to pay an average of Sh62,715 per child, above the gazetted parental fee of Sh53,554.
In public day secondary schools, the average bill stood at Sh20,619.
The financial pressure extends to the education system itself.
The Ministry of Education reported a Sh48.3 billion capitation shortfall for the 2025/26 financial year.
Meanwhile, data from the Kenya National Examinations Council showed that 151,691 learners from the first Competency-Based Education cohort did not reach the Grade 9 assessment in 2025, despite having enrolled in Grade 4 in 2019.
