256 students from Narok County are set to benefit from the Elimu Scholarship programme, under the Ministry of Education.
The County Programme coordinator Christopher Keya said the beneficiaries include 139 girls and 117 boys who hail from poor background.
Narok South, Narok West and Trans Mara East Sub counties got the highest allocation of 50, 44 and 40 respectively while Narok North Sub County got the lowest number of beneficiaries at 19.
Keya said the beneficiaries were selected from the vulnerable and poor backgrounds in the county that struggled to get a livelihood.
Those qualified, he said, should have attained over 280 marks, while those from marginalized areas like Ogiek and persons living with disability must have attained 250 marks.
“In addition to the school fees, the beneficiaries will get free shopping, uniform, pocket money and transport for the four years in secondary,” he said.
He noted that the major challenge they encountered during the home visit is heavy rains and impassable roads that made them spend sleepless nights on the road.
“We had to ensure that we visited every family to confirm the level of poverty and vulnerability. It was our biggest challenge as some homes are in very remote areas that cannot be accessed by vehicles,” he reiterated.
At the same time, Narok County Commissioner Isaac Masinde has called on all pupils who sat for the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examination to join secondary school this month.
Masinde warned parents who keep their children at home that they risk being arrested and prosecuted in court for neglecting their children.
“Even the girls who were impregnated during the long holiday should go back to school. We will not allow any child to remain at home under any circumstances,” said Masinde.
The girls were challenged to concentrate on their studies so that they can become professionals and improve the living standard of their parents.
By Ann Salaton
