Kilifi County doubles bursary allocation to Sh700m
Shimo La Tewa MCA Sammy Ndago (centre) holds some of the cheques of the bursary beneficiaries during issuance at Mtomondoni Primary School on January 13, 2018. On the right is Kilifi Deputy Governor Gideon Saburi who said the total bursary allocation will rise to Sh700 million. PHOTO | SAMUEL BAYA | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- According to Mr Saburi, the money has been factored in the 2019/2020 budget and will be effected from June this year.
- He said that locals have been complaining that the targeted beneficiaries of the funds do not get the money.
- Shimo La Tewa MCA Sammy Ndago said he had ensured that each applicant got some money for school fees.
The Kilifi County government will double its bursary allocation from the current Sh350 million to Sh700 million by June.
Addressing parents during the issuance of bursaries to bright and needy students from the Shimo La Tewa Ward on Sunday, Kilifi Deputy Governor Gideon Saburi said the move is meant to address the rising demand for school fees.
“Since its inception in 2014, the Kilifi County scholarship [programme] has been met with increasing demand and a big number of students who apply [do not get bursaries]. Initially, each ward [was] allocated Sh10 million in every financial year.
“However, we have discovered that these allocations were not sufficient thus [we] decided to amend the Act and increased the kitty from Sh350 million to Sh700 million,” Mr Saburi said.
FACTORED IN BUDGET
According to Mr Saburi, the money has been factored in the 2019/2020 budget and will be effected from June this year.
“Once the June budget has been read, then the kitty will have Sh700 million and each ward will get Sh20 million instead of the Sh10 million that each ward used to get,” he said.
Kilifi County has 35 wards.
“Even with the Sh20 million per ward, we know it might not be enough but at least it will reduce the challenges that have characterised the exercise,” he said.
MONEY DIVERTED
Mr Saburi said that locals have been complaining that the targeted beneficiaries of the funds do not get the money after it is diverted to well-connected people in the county.
“We have been receiving these complaints and I want to assure Kilifi residents that it will never happen again.
“I have personally taken the [task of verifying] all the beneficiaries in the whole county. I have all the records of the beneficiaries,” he said.
Shimo La Tewa MCA Sammy Ndago said despite the big number of applicants, he had ensured that each applicant got some money for school fees.
“The demand is high and the kitty is insufficient but we managed to give all the applicants some school fees to take them to school, at least for now. We are hopeful that with the increase in allocations, many more students will benefit,” he said.
