A family in Amabuko Sublocation, Nyaribari Masaba Constituency, is calling for urgent intervention from the government and well-wishers after being pushed to the brink by extreme poverty and hardship.
Irene Kwamboka, a blind widow and mother of seven, is struggling to raise her children under difficult circumstances. With no stable source of income, the family survives on irregular casual labour and the little that can be stretched from her daughter’s student loan.
Happiness Kemunto, a third-year student at Kisii University and daughter of Irene, has been forced to stay at home to care for her visually impaired mother and support her siblings.
According to the family, the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) funds intended to support her education often end up helping put food on the table due to the family’s dire situation.
“My daughter’s HELB is what sometimes feeds this family. We rely on casual labour, but it is unreliable. Life has become unbearable,” Irene stated.
The situation reflects deepening poverty in parts of the Nyaribari Masaba Constituency.
More families are in dire need
Speaking to K24 Digital on Friday, February 13, 2026, the Area Sub-Chief of the Amabuko Sublocation, Simon Osano, acknowledged the economic strain affecting many households in the region.
“Poverty levels in this community have led to a worrying number of students dropping out of school,” said Osano. “Girls under the age of 18 are particularly vulnerable, facing serious threats of teenage pregnancies and forced marriages due to economic hardship.”
Local leaders say urgent intervention is needed to prevent further deterioration of livelihoods and to safeguard the future of young people in the area.
The family is now appealing to the national and county governments, non-governmental organisations, and well-wishers to provide support, whether through financial assistance, educational sponsorship, food aid, or empowerment programmes.
As the cost of living continues to rise, families like that of Irene Kwamboka remain trapped in a cycle of poverty, hoping for a lifeline that could restore dignity and opportunity to their lives.
