Milly Nafula, former posho mill operator, starts medical course at MKU
Mount Kenya University has this week been admitting new students joining the university to pursue various programmes during September 2022 intake. MKU admits both government sponsored and self–sponsored students.
Among the students who reported to start their higher education phase include Milly Nafula, who was offered a full scholarship by the university to pursue a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery degree programme.
Nafula sat for her KCSE exams 15 years ago, scored an A Minus but was unable to proceed with higher education.
This was after the Joint Admission Board (JAB) – which has since been replaced by the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) – failed to place her in any of the public universities despite scoring a grade higher than the minimum entry requirement of C Plus.
She was welcomed to the university by the Vice- Chancellor Prof Deogratius JAGANYI together with Dr Josphat Njuguna ,the principal college of health sciences and Peter Njenga director MKU Kitale ODeL Centre.
“You must remain focused on studies and in six years, you will be a medical doctor. The course is not a joke and there are no short cuts… we have been rated the best in the medical school in the region, which means that our standards are high. Our biggest joy will be for you to achieve your dreams and that will also be an inspiration to many more people,” said Prof JAGANYI while welcoming Nafula to the university.
She said she would pursue her studies diligently, noting that it presented her with an opportunity to fulfil a lifelong dream of helping people in the society.
“It is now my duty to work hard and achieve my dream to become a medical doctor… I believe that I now have everything to achieve this dream and I look forward to helping people in my career,” she said.
After failing to further her studies after secondary school, Nafula worked odd jobs, including operating a posho mill, but still harboured the dream of becoming a doctor. Her plight was highlighted by media last year and MKU offered her a full scholarship that covers tuition fees, accommodation and book expenses.
“I read about her in the media and was greatly disappointed. I saw a lady with great potential and decided that as a society we need to empower her. It is not that what she was doing at the posho mill is bad but only that I believe that she belongs somewhere else,” said Prof Simon Gicharu, chairman MKU, when he presented the scholarship letter of admission to Nafula.
“We are giving her the scholarship we promised for her to study one of the most prestigious courses in the country.”
Other than the scholarship to study medicine that has a monetary value of Sh3.5 million, the MKU Foundation also bought her a piece of land and built her a house in which she and her family have settled.
Nafula, 33, a mother of two from Kitale was working at a posho mill. She narrated in a local TV station in an interview that she had been looking forward to joining a university after scoring an A-minus.
