Busia County Government has disbursed Sh 70 million with a view to support 8,000 bright but needy students.
Speaking during a forum to disburse the cheques at Amaase Vocational Training Centre on Tuesday, Busia Governor Moses Mulomi said the County Government will upscale the bursary kitty to at least Sh100 million in future.
He urged Members of the County Assembly to contribute more funds from ward development projects to supplement the County’s efforts.
“I want to urge the MCAs to increase their ward allocation to at least Sh2 million per ward in order to supplement what the County is giving to the needy students,” he said.
He further stated that the County Government has so far constructed more than 250 ECDE classrooms adding that money has been factored in the budget for the next financial year for completion of the incomplete ones alongside construction of new ones.
“We are also planning to add more instructors in the Vocational Training Centres and improve their scheme of service,” he said urging students to take advantage of the joint scholarship by both the County and National Governments.
The County CEC Member for Education Prof Grephas Opata said that the County Government in collaboration with the HELB has disbursed a total of Sh 55 million worth of revolving fund to 2,331 students pursuing various courses in both public and private universities since 2015.
Opata added that a total of 139 students have also been supported to pursue courses at the Kenya Medical Training Colleges and two students per ward to pursue courses in law, medicine and Engineering.
Busia County KUPPET Executive Secretary Moffats Okisai lauded the County Government for the timely disbursement of the bursary cheques.
Okisai stated that the move to support the needy students will help reduce the County’s poverty level which currently stands at 59.7%.
By Salome Alwanda
