Baringo Governor Stanley Kiptis has said that the county administration will raise the bursary kitty up to Sh 270 million to benefit more learners.
Governor Kiptis said the bursary increase will support a larger number of students including those from areas affected by perennial insecurity who dropped out of their secondary school education due to lack of fees.
While addressing a gathering outside his office in Kabarnet town on Friday when he disbursed Sh 42 million to 3, 569 beneficiaries including learners in Vocational Training Centres, Kiptis stated that plans are at an advanced stage of slotting students from needy backgrounds undertaking various courses in colleges and universities.
“The county executive has agreed with Members of County Assembly (MCA’s) to increase the kitty in the next financial year because it will have a greater impact on society in the long run,” he said.
The Baringo governor said that his administration has already laid strategies and sustainable policies that are geared towards improving the education sector especially in Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) and Technical Vocational Education Training (TVET).
Governor Kiptis revealed that his administration was advocating for a change of approach to have the various TVET institutions in the county to be identified by a particular competency area which he says apart from attracting more learners will also streamline on its equipping and infrastructure support.
“Our intention is to have our TVET institutions stick to at most three core courses so that they can easily build on that and churn out graduates who are ready to compete on the ever competitive job market,” he said.
The Baringo governor also stated that a total of 642 ECDE classrooms have been built and equipped across the seven sub counties which has seen an increase in enrolment currently standing at 51, 335 learners.
He said that the county cumulatively has a total of 1, 668 ECDE teachers who are under Teachers Service Commission and are planning to employ more to cover a shortfall of 398 who are needed.
During the event which was also attended by Deputy Governor Jacob Chepkwony, CEC for Education Dr David Sergon and County Assembly Committee Chairperson for Education John Tarus, learners in 973 schools benefited with the largest share of the bursary going to Koibatek, Baringo Central and Marigat sub counties.
However, Kiptis declined to issue cheques to beneficiaries in three Wards within Tiaty West, Mogotio and Koibatek Sub Counties until the county education committee harmonizes a list of learners with the number of schools.
Since the inception of devolution, the county government has managed to disburse over Sh 290 million to secondary schools within and outside Baringo.
By Joshua Kibet
