- Three Kenyan teenagers have earned life-changing full scholarships after emerging as top performers from a highly competitive programme
- Mitchelle Ombuna, Caleb Tanui and Pearl Mumo will study STEM at the elite African Olympiad Academy in Rwanda
- The trio were part of a selection camp that drew more than 15,000 students, marking a remarkable milestone in their academic journeys
Fifteen-year-old Mitchelle Ombuna still remembers the moment her name was called, marking the beginning of a journey that will take her beyond Kenya’s borders.
Source: Facebook
She, alongside Caleb Tanui and Juni Pearl Mumo, earned a coveted three-year full scholarship to the African Olympiad Academy in Rwanda.
How Kenyan trio won scholarships
The trio emerged as the top-performing students at the 2026 Rising Stars Training Camp, offering them a life-changing opportunity reserved for only the brightest young minds.
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Kenya News Agency reports that the demanding five-day residential programme was hosted at the Centre for Mathematics, Science and Technology Education in Africa at Karen Campus.
The camp brought together 32 exceptional learners, carefully selected from a pool of more than 15,000 students through the highly competitive Kenya Mathematics Olympiad process.
Inside the classrooms, the atmosphere was intense but electric as students wrestled with complex mathematical problems.
The assignments were designed to stretch their thinking far beyond the ordinary school curriculum, testing their knowledge and resilience.
“Math is easy,” Mitchelle Ombuna
For many, it was their first taste of the level required to compete on the global stage. For Ombuna, the experience was both humbling and empowering.
She described the camp as deeply challenging, yet profoundly enriching, a place where curiosity met discipline, and where limits were constantly redefined.
“Math is not a hard subject; it is about your mentality,” she said. “If you approach it positively and take time to think through problems, it becomes much simpler.”
Her words reflect a belief shaped not just by talent but by perseverance, a message she hopes will inspire other students who may doubt their abilities.
She encouraged learners across the country to seek opportunities like those offered by CEMASTEA, noting that exposure to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics can unlock potential many do not realise they possess.
How scholarship will benefit Kenyan trio
The African Olympiad Academy programme is designed to do exactly that: identify gifted students early, nurture their abilities, and prepare them for international competitions like the International Mathematical Olympiad and the Pan-African Mathematics Olympiad.
At the academy, the three will undertake an intensive Olympiad-focused curriculum alongside Cambridge A-Level studies, a combination aimed at sharpening both their academic depth and competitive edge.
As they prepare to begin this new chapter in Rwanda, Ombuna, Tanui, and Mumo are stepping into more than a classroom.
They are stepping into a future where numbers tell stories, ideas shape innovation, and determination opens doors once thought unreachable.
Source: UGC
Kenya doctor awarded scholarship
Apart from the students, a family medicine physician from Tenwek Mission Hospital is set to take her work onto the global stage after being awarded a prestigious international scholarship.
Dr Fridah Kiptui was named a recipient of the Donald Li Global Young Doctors Movement (YDM) Scholarship 2026, marking a proud moment for Kenya’s primary healthcare community.
The honour will see her travel to Wellington, New Zealand, to attend the globally recognised WONCA World Rural Health Conference.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
