Man returns to school, tops KCSE after decade in wheelchair
Imagine facing the unimaginable: missing the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) after a life-altering injury during a school rugby match, spending ten long years at home, and then returning in a wheelchair to take the national exam—only to rise as the top student in your school.
This is the remarkable journey of Alex Kipkirui, who a decade ago suffered a spinal injury that left him in a wheelchair, forcing him to leave school behind.
Fast forward ten years, and he finally had the opportunity to sit for the KCSE, defying all odds and emerging as the top student at Borborwet Secondary School with a B plain.
Citizen TV visited him at his home in Borborwet, Belgut in Kericho County, where he navigates the compound with the help of a relative.
Together, they make their way to a set of makeshift parallel bars. Lacking the funds for regular physiotherapy, he relies on this improvised equipment for his daily locomotor training, holding onto the hope that one day he will walk again.
For the past decade, this has been his routine ever since he suffered a spinal cord injury during school games while in Form Four at Kericho High School.
“I was called by teachers who told me my son, Alex Kipkirui, had been injured at school and had been taken to the hospital. When I asked him what had happened, he told me he was paralysed after being hit while playing rugby,” said his father, Musa Langat.
The injury took Kipkirui out of school, robbing him of the opportunity to take the KCSE in 2015. While his classmates were busy gearing up for their final exams, his parents found themselves shuttling from one hospital to another, desperately seeking medical assistance. In a heart-wrenching effort to save their son, the family even had to sell their land to cover the mounting medical expenses.
“Since I got injured, we have gone through many challenges, especially financial problems. I was advised to attend physiotherapy twice a week, but since the injury, I have only managed to go for about one year,” Kipkirui said.
Even while he was working hard to regain his ability to walk, Kipkirui clung to another dream—one day sitting for the KCSE, excelling, and pursuing a career in computer science. In 2025, that dream he had held onto for so long finally came true.
“Returning to school was not easy. We registered at Borborwet Secondary School and I studied from home for the whole of last year. Recently, I went to sit the exam from home and I emerged the top student with a B plain,” he said.
Kipkirui has emerged as the top student in his school, where only 18 out of 128 candidates managed to score a grade of C plus or higher. However, despite this impressive achievement, his future remains uncertain. His aging parents are struggling to fund his university education, especially with four other siblings still in school, all depending on the same limited resources.
“My dream is to study computer science, but I face challenges with network connectivity. We don’t have Wi-Fi, and I don’t own a computer to continue my studies. Since I can’t walk, I need to learn online. I’m reaching out to well-wishers and leaders for support,” Kipkirui shared.
His neighbors and local leaders have joined in his plea for help.
“I really hope people can assist this young man. His family is without jobs, and they have other children—three in university and one in high school,” said Irene Rop, a concerned neighbor.
Kapsurer MCA Peter Kemoi expressed that Borborwet Secondary School played a vital role in helping Kipkirui take his exam.
“I’m really grateful to Borborwet Secondary School for allowing him to register and sit for the exam, especially given his circumstances. I also provided him with transport during the exam period,” he shared.
With his impressive performance, Kipkirui is now aiming for a scholarship and medical assistance to help him realize his dreams and improve his family’s situation.
Man returns to school, tops KCSE after decade in wheelchair
