All 646 KCPE students in Lamu who scored above 300 marks in the 2019 KCPE results will all receive a four-year scholarship to the secondary schools they will join.
The students are set to benefit from the County’s Education Scholarship programme that is aimed at improving education standards in the County.
The initiative is aided by the county’s increase in its bursary allocation from Sh.127 million in the previous financial year to Sh.176 million for 2019/2020 Financial Year, in a move that Lamu Governor, Fahim Twaha, has intimated will aid in curbing dropout rates, especially among girls.
The best performing student in the County, Aisha Harun Mohammed, from Stonetown Academy scored 429 marks.
Speaking to KNA on phone, Governor Twaha stated that, the scholarships is aimed at deterring dropout due to poverty or early marriages by ensuring that the there is a 100 percent transition rate to high school for all students.
“As the County Government we want to ensure that our youths are well educated for the future job market and it is only by ensuring that we support them either by scholarships or bursaries,” Twaha stated.
He also said that those who scored below 300 marks would still be entitled to bursaries and encouraged parents to take advantage of the increased bursary allocation and ensure that all their children attend school.
Sentiments echoed by Lamu County Director of Education, Joshua Kaaga, who complimented the students who performed well in this year’s KCPE examination, noting there had been an improvement.
He also divulged that the County Education Department was still working out the County Mean Average, and noted that the County’s move to provide bursaries and scholarships may be a motivating factor towards more students performing well in their KCPE exams.
“We need parents and guardians to stay committed towards ensuring their children finish their schooling, which in Lamu is further aided by the County Government offering scholarships and bursaries for the benefit of education in Lamu,” Kaaga said.
This year, 3,673 students sat for their KCPE in the County.
Education had been a key campaign issue for Governor Fahim Twaha, chief among the pledges he made to Lamu residents is that he would increase the county’s bursary allocation and provide scholarships for students who score above 300 marks to boost education standards.
By Amenya Ochieng
