Poor performers to be removed from Murang’a scholarship programme

Beneficiaries of Murang’a county scholarship who will have a persistence decline in their academic performance will be removed from the programme.
Governor Mwangi wa Iria on Friday said that his administration would monitor and analyze academic performance of each student under the scholarship programme to ensure all beneficiaries were performing well.
The programme supports 1, 000 bright students from poor background who were put under the county scholarship early 2019.
The county government pays fees besides providing other education materials to the students enrolled in various national secondary schools across the country.
Speaking when he issued bursary cheques to the students at the county government premises, Wa Iria said his administration wanted to see value for money given to the beneficiaries by ensuring they performed well in their academic work.
“The county government is using millions of shillings to educate our children from poor background and we want to follow up and ensure they do well in schools,” said the governor.
He said in 2020, the county administration will enroll another 1, 000 students into the scholarship saying the support given is to ensure the beneficiaries complete their secondary education without constraints.
“The process of selecting the students into the programme is transparent and we have been engaging the school administration of the student, village elders and local clergy to ensure those selected deserve the assistance,” stated Wa Iria.
The county government issued cheques worth Sh8 million to pay for school fees to the students for the third term.
Wa Iria further encouraged young people who did not score marks needed for university to enroll with youth polytechnics and pursue artisan and technical courses which were still marketable in the country.
He said most of the time those who failed to attain grades to take them to university opted not to continue with training hence most youth polytechnics in the county have low enrolment.
“The County government is sponsoring short courses in various artisan skills and we encourage our young people instead of idling in market to take advantage of the programme and enroll to be trained on technical skills,” he noted.
In 2018, the Governor said the county government sponsored more than 30, 000 people from the county who trained in various courses.
“The county administration has also been giving equipment to those who have trained in various technical skills to start their own business. The programme has helped many young people especially rehabilitating those who have indulged in alcoholism and drug abuse,” he noted.
Meanwhile, Wa Iria called for for an end to the stalemate on disbursement of funds to county government saying currently, they were forced to borrow so as to support devolved functions.
“We are straining to fund programmes under our mandate. Health, education among other functions cannot stop and we are therefore forced to borrow loans. Let the National Assembly and the Senate end the stalemate and let funds be sent to counties,” said Wa Iria.
By Bernard Munyao