Security Guard to First-Class Graduate: Elvas Kipruto Tuwei Story
Thika, Kenya: At Mount Kenya University’s graduation square, one name stood out among the sea of gowns and mortarboards: Elvas Kipruto Tuwei, who graduated with First Class Honours after years of working as a security guard to fund his education. His story is one of night shifts, deferred dreams, and eventual triumph: a young man from Kimore Village in Tembelio Ward, Moiben Constituency, who refused to let circumstance write the ending to his education.
A Dream Deferred
Elvas performed exceptionally well in his KCSE and earned a place at university. But for a family from a humble background, tuition was simply out of reach. Rather than let the opportunity slip away entirely, Elvas made a decision that would define the next chapter of his life: he took up work as a security guard, putting his studies on hold for four years while he tried to find a way forward.
Even as the years passed, he never let go of the goal. The dream of walking across a graduation stage stayed with him through every night shift.
A Helping Hand: The Moiben NG-CDF Bursary
In 2022, Elvas shared his story with Hon. Prof. Phylis Bartoo, MP for Moiben Constituency. Moved by his determination, she stepped in to support his university education for all four years, facilitating access to the NG-CDF Bursary that would carry him through to the end.
That support built on a foundation laid years earlier by Kipsangui Boys High School and the community of Kimore, who had sponsored his secondary education and believed in his potential long before university was even a possibility.
Working Nights, Studying Days
Even with his fees secured, Elvas’s journey was far from easy. He continued working as a night security guard, a role made possible by Mocam Security while attending classes during the day. On top of that, he took on a leadership role at Mount Kenya University, serving as the MKUSA (Mount Kenya University Students Association) Secretary General, balancing service to his fellow students with his own academic demands.
Colleagues and fellow students have pointed to that combination of discipline, resilience, and a genuine commitment to leadership as what set his university years apart.
Graduating From Mount Kenya University With First Class Honours
On August 7, 2026, all of that sacrifice culminated in a First-Class Honours degree in Bachelor of Education Science, specializing in Chemistry and Physics. It was a moment years in the making, from a KCSE candidate with nowhere to turn, to a security guard clocking night shifts, to a graduate crossing the stage with the highest classification his university offers.
In His Own Words
Reflecting on the journey, Elvas didn’t hesitate to name the people who carried him through it:
“From working as a security guard to graduating with First Class Honours in Bachelor of Education Science (Chemistry and Physics). I thank God for enabling me to come this far. Balancing night shifts as a security guard, serving as a student leader and pursuing my studies was not easy, but His grace sustained me throughout the journey.”
He thanked Hon. Prof. Phylis Bartoo for the NG-CDF Bursary support, Kipsangui Boys High School and the people of Kimore for sponsoring his secondary education, Mount Kenya University and the MKUSA fraternity for the chance to serve in student leadership, and Mocam Security for the job that kept him afloat financially throughout his studies.
A Story Worth Telling
Elvas’s journey is more than a personal victory; it’s a reminder of what’s possible when opportunity meets determination, and when a community, a school, a security firm, and an elected leader all choose to invest in one young person’s future.
As Hon. Prof. Bartoo put it in celebrating his achievement: where you come from should never determine where you are going.
