This study aimed at gaining an in-depth understanding of the causes and effects of poverty in learning among secondary schools. Although a number of studies have been done on factors affecting access, performance and retention in secondary schools in other parts of the Country, no specific study has investigated the continued inaccessibility and poverty in secondary schools in ASAL regions particularly in Mandera District in Kenya in spite of free secondary education. Scholars therefore need to research deeper and explore this problem. The study was based on the following objectives: To determine the factors that affect enrolment, retention and performance in secondary school within Mandera District. To assess the perception of the school going children and the view of the community regarding education, identify the key challenges that prevent school going children from accessing secondary education despite free secondary education and to identify the local people’s suggestions and mitigation measures for addressing the problem. The researcher adopted the classical liberal theory of opportunity and social Darwinism. The theory asserts that each person is born with a given amount of capacity, which to a large extent is inherited and cannot be substantially changed. It also states that social mobility is promoted by equal opportunity of education. The design of the study was descriptive survey and was carried out in fifteen secondary schools which were selected using stratified sampling. Data were collected from head teachers using interview schedule and from teachers using questionnaire. More data were collected from Form students using questionnaire. The study used descriptive design which targeted students, teachers and principals from 15 Schools. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics.