About 4000 orphaned and vulnerable children in Kirinyaga have been awarded Sh6 million bursary by the county government with the county coordinator of children’s services Kamwira Ngeke adding that there plans were afoot to increase the beneficiaries by an extra 412 needy children.
He said they were now undertaking data verification of the recipients to facilitate payment of the money to various schools.
The coordinator said the National Health Insurance Fund subsidy programme was also on course for the benefitting vulnerable children.
He said the programme which covers all the medical expenses for the concerned children will now be rolled out to cover all the 3678 beneficiaries under the presidential bursary programme.
“Previously we piloted the programme in Kerugoya and Kutus but now it has been opened to every child in the programme” Ngeke said.
He said the programme which gives Sh15, 000 for day public secondary schools students also pays a maximum of Sh30, 000 for students in the boarding secondary schools.
Ngeke further said needy children who want to benefit from the program are required to fill a form from the children’s services office and secure approval from a social committee, which is comprised of members from their locality.
“The beneficiaries are identified and selected through an elaborate community-based selection process,” he said.
On the other hand, students in private institutions are not covered by the programme however needy they may be, Ngeke added.
By Judith Mwende and MbetiWambua
