Orphaned girl from Garissa who beat odds to score A- in KCSE aims at becoming a medical doctor

Bahja Ahmed Shale, 18, is an orphan. Her father, who served in the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), died during an Al-Shabaab attack in Somalia while her mother succumbed to the Covid-19 virus.

But despite being an orphan, Bahja beat all odds to become one of the top students from North Eastern Kenya in the 2024 KCSE exams, scoring an A-.

Bahja, who schooled at Saka Girls Secondary School in Garissa County, said she dreamt of achieving good grades and the challenges of being an orphan could not stop her from becoming among the top candidates in the 2024 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination whose results were announced on Thursday.

"I lost my mum to Covid-19 while I was doing my KCPE rehearsals in 2021 and my father, a former KDF officer, died in the line of duty in Somalia. All this remained a tormenting challenge in my journey but by the grace of God, today I am elated celebrating my KCSE results," she said, wiping tears from her eyes.

Bahja has appealed for support to achieve her dream of becoming a medical doctor.

She attributed her success to her brother, sisters, teachers and uncles who stood with her as she studied in a remote school in the Balambala Sub-County.

Relatives and friends visited Bahja's home on Friday to celebrate her achievement.

Her elder sister, Ummulkheir Ahmed, said they were proud of her younger sister’s achievement in the KCSE exams.

"We learnt of the results yesterday evening when our sister was away. She came home on Friday and, together with relatives and neighbours, we are celebrating her achievement,” Ummulkheir said.

Hussein Muktar, Bahja’s maternal uncle, could not hide his joy as he joined other family members to celebrate the achievement.

Appeal to well-wishers

He called upon the local leaders, well-wishers and the government to provide a full scholarship to the girl who wants to pursue her dream of becoming a medical doctor.

Abdi Salat, a neighbour and retired KDF veteran who served with her father at the Gilgil military camp, also appealed for support to help Bahja pursue university education.

Her father, along with other KDF officers, died while serving in the Linda Inchi operation in Somalia after a homemade bomb hit their lorry in the Gedo region.

“She later lost her mother to Covid-19. She needs to be supported to achieve her dream," Abdi said.

Bahja was among the top students who scored A- in the male-dominated North Eastern region where gender disparity still remains high.

In the 2024 KCSE exam, there were more male candidates than girls in  Garissa, Wajir and Mandera counties.