Sh220m in bursary funds set aside for bright pupils

Sh220 million has been set aside by the county government for bursaries.

Those who will get the bursaries include 469 bright students who are expected to join national secondary schools this year.

The county has also spent Sh13.6 million in bursaries for 68 bright students who are pursuing degree courses in India.

County assembly’s education committee chairman Anthony Yama, said at least 469 candidates in the county, who sat for last year’s Kenya Certificate of Primary Education examination, will be admitted to national schools.

The number of students from Kwale County joining national secondary schools, he added, has shot up from 267 students last year to 469 students this year.
He attributed the rise to the launch of the “Elimu Ni Sasa” (Education is Now) drive by Kwale governor Salim Mvurya, last year.

The fund was set up to help educate bright students in secondary schools, local and international universities.

BRIGHT STUDENTS

This came after a study conducted in the county in 2013 found out that many bright students were unable to join national schools and public universities due to poverty.

Speaking to the Nation Wednesday at Ukunda, Mr Yama said in 2014, the county spent Sh100 million to pay for school fees for 267 students who joined national schools.

“Through the county’s Elimu Ni Sasa fund, we were able to pay secondary school fees for our bright students from Form One to Form Four,” he said.

Mr Yama said the county signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Indian Government last year, opening avenues for bright students from Kwale studying in India.

The 68 students currently in India are taking degree courses in medicine, engineering and law.

Mr Yama said Kwale would only catch up with other counties such as Nairobi and Mombasa if higher education for its bright students was made a priority.